Top Vatican official says pope’s cancer diagnosis a ‘game-changer’ for the papacy
ROME (AP) — Even though Pope Leo XIV is recovering well from lung cancer surgery and is going ahead with a big trip to Latin America next week, the diagnosis is “a bit of a game-changer” for the Vatican and Leo’s still-young papacy, a top Vatican official said Tuesday.
Even after recovering well from lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV's diagnosis is considered a "game-changer" for the Vatican and his papacy, according to Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See's foreign minister. Gallagher noted that the common illness of lung cancer makes Leo a "poor mortal like the rest of us," potentially changing how he views himself and how the public perceives him.
Despite the successful surgery, Gallagher acknowledged that the prognosis is still "a bit of a game-changer." The 71-year-old Pope is set to embark on a significant trip to Latin America from November 6-17, despite the demanding schedule. Gallagher said Leo's decision to go ahead with the trip was based on medical advice that he could manage it well.
The Vatican aims to avoid scheduling trips during national election periods, and a potential U.S. visit might be scheduled around the 2028 U.S. presidential elections.
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