Pope’s surgeon: No clinical reason to cancel visit to South America
Pope Leo XIV’s surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, says there are no clinical reasons to cancel the Pope’s planned November 6–17 visit to Latin America. The Pope underwent routine surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after a small malignant tumor was found accidentally during unrelated examinations. His surgery had no complications, and his blood tests, heart function, and recovery were satisfactory; the surgeon estimates he needs about another ten days for full recovery. Margaritora emphasizes the importance of regular preventive checkups, particularly for people at risk of lung cancer, which may cause no symptoms in its early stages.
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Pope Leo XIV’s surgeon says there is no clinical reason to cancel the pontiff’s planned Nov. 6–17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru after surgery for lung cancer. Leo was discharged from hospital on Oct. 17, and his surgeon expects him to recover fully within about ten days; the Pope says he will resume his duties gradually. 1 4 6
The Pope underwent surgery on Oct. 13 to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors found an adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Surgeon Stefano Margaritora described the operation as routine and said it proceeded without complications. 1 4
The tumor was found by chance during routine abdominal imaging, which showed a spot at the base of the lung. Leo had no respiratory symptoms and felt well, Margaritora said; he used the case to stress the value of regular checkups, particularly for people at risk of lung cancer. 1 4 5
At discharge, Leo’s blood tests and heart function were normal, and his lung was re-expanding on the expected timetable. Margaritora said full physical recovery from this kind of operation typically takes about two weeks and estimated the Pope would be fully recovered in another ten days or so. 1 2
The planned Latin America journey is demanding: it is expected to involve about a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high-altitude locations. Margaritora said he saw no clinical reason the long trip should not proceed. 4 6
On Oct. 18, Leo led the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace and thanked people for their prayers and the Gemelli Hospital staff for their care. He said he would “gradually resume” his activities; the Latin America trip is his next major scheduled engagement. 6
Margaritora called Leo “an ideal patient,” saying he followed medical guidance on diet and physiotherapy, rarely complained and needed little assistance. On the second day after surgery, staff found him arranging chairs in the hospital chapel. 1 2
Although the surgeon said the procedure was medically routine, he described operating on a Pope as emotionally extraordinary, noting that, to his knowledge, it was the first time in modern history that a reigning Pope had surgery for a malignant tumor. 1 5
Testing of the tumor and nearby lymph nodes was still underway. The results, including analysis of the tumor’s molecular and genetic characteristics, are expected to help doctors determine whether further treatment is needed. 6
Theology of illness, healing, and pastoral responsibility in Catholic leadership
Catholic theology holds together two truths: illness is a real evil from which people rightly seek relief, yet it is not proof that God is punishing the sick person. The Church’s response is therefore neither to promise miraculous recovery nor to treat illness as merely private. Catholic leaders are responsible for bringing Christ’s compassionate presence to the sick, supporting competent care, offering the sacraments, and helping the whole community accompany people through suffering.
Illness can raise questions about guilt, suffering, and God’s goodness. Catholic teaching rejects the inference that every illness is punishment for personal sin: the suffering of the just, exemplified by Job, makes that clear. Illness remains an evil, even when a person may find spiritual growth or meaning within the experience.
Healing, in this vision, is broader than a cure. It includes bodily care and relief where possible, but also the healing of relationships, fear, isolation, and the person’s relationship with God. The Church understands Christ’s healing mission as addressing the whole person, body and soul.
This distinction matters pastorally. A person who is not physically cured has not failed in faith, and a leader should not imply that greater faith would necessarily have produced recovery. The Church offers prayer and sacramental grace, but its teaching describes illness as a mystery encountered in hope, not as a condition whose outcome can be guaranteed.
Presence and listening. Pastoral care should include nearness, attention, listening, dialogue, and practical help—not only formal religious services. Illness can test a person’s confidence in life and in God’s love; a leader’s task is to accompany the person rather than rush to explain away that struggle.
Sacramental care. The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament in which Christ acts through the Church’s prayer and the priest’s ministry. It offers grace and strength; it is not a promise that the person will recover physically. The sacramental encounter belongs within a broader, continuing commitment to care.
Coordinated community responsibility. Care for the sick is not a task to be delegated entirely to a chaplain or a small volunteer group. The Church’s pastoral action should involve the ecclesial community in a coordinated way, while also supporting families and those who provide health care.
Respect for the sick person’s agency. The sick are not simply recipients of benevolence. They remain members of the Church with an active and responsible role in its life and mission. In the sacramental ministry described through James, the sick person calls for the Church’s ministers, and the ministers respond; the relationship is one of mutual participation, not passive dependence.
Support for caregivers. Catholic leaders should attend not only to patients but also to families, volunteers, clergy, and health-care professionals. These people need pastoral support in their demanding service; authentic human contact and professional competence are both important in caring for the sick.
Christian prayer for healing is part of the Church’s mission, but it must be joined to truthful, humane care. Catholic teaching encourages healing prayer while recognizing that sickness remains a real evil and that suffering is not always removed in this life. Leaders should therefore offer prayer and the sacraments without suggesting that a particular result is assured, or that illness reflects deficient faith or divine rejection.
The measure of leadership is not whether every illness ends in a cure. It is whether the sick person is treated as a whole person, met with compassion, accompanied in hope, and included in the life of the Church. In serving those who suffer, the Church continues Christ’s healing mission; and the sick, too, remain active participants in that mission.