Pope Leo visits high Andes, testing recovery from lung cancer surgery
Pope Leo on Sunday faced his toughest physical test since undergoing lung cancer surgery, visiting high-altitude Cusco on the final full day of his South America tour. The 71-year-old pontiff, who had part of a lung removed a month ago, arrived in the ancient Inca capital, more than 3,400 metres (11,000ft) above sea level – high enough to leave many a visitor breathless. Children in brightly…
Pope Leo XIV visited the high-altitude city of Cusco on Sunday, marking the most physically demanding part of his South American tour. The 71-year-old US-born pontiff, who had part of a lung removed during surgery a month ago, traveled to the former Inca capital situated at more than 3,400 metres (11,000ft) above sea level.
According to the Malay Mail, the Pope refused to remove the visit to the Unesco World Heritage Site from his itinerary despite the altitude. During the visit, he is scheduled to climb to the Saqsaywaman hilltop fortress to meet with representatives of popular Catholic devotion. This trip follows an intense 12-day journey through Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.
RTE News reports that the Vatican confirmed in late October that the Pope's apostolic trip to Latin America would proceed on 6 November. The Malay Mail notes that the Pope, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, served as a missionary in Peru for nearly two decades.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post, Malay Mail, RTE News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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