Pope Preparing for High-Altitude South America Trip Weeks After Lung Cancer Surgery

A demanding tour after surgery

Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Gallagher said the cancer treatment would have an impact, but that medical advice was positive and Leo felt able to travel. Gallagher also said the trip had been planned well in advance.

The message behind going

Papal historian Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University said cancelling the trip could have suggested the surgery was a major rupture in Leo’s papacy. Faggioli told Reuters that proceeding instead conveyed that the health crisis was over and Leo could make the journey.

The trip also carries personal importance for Leo. A speaker quoted in the report said he had long wanted to visit Cusco, where he could encounter the region’s popular faith and religious traditions, and believed it would remain on the itinerary.

Medical preparations en route

Organisers are making plans to respond to a possible emergency. An air ambulance is being considered for the visit to Santa Cruz, and a Peruvian doctor is expected to be available alongside Leo’s personal physician.

Crux correspondent Elise Ann Allen said oxygen tanks, additional medical staff, ambulances and equipment would likely be positioned along the route, The Times reported. Dr Stephen Liu told Reuters that patients in Leo’s situation should avoid pushing themselves too far and rest when their body signals the need.

Expected crowds in Argentina

Argentine officials estimate that as many as seven million people could attend Leo’s events during his three days in the country. The projection highlights the scale of public interest in the visit.