Pope Leo XIV cancels Assisi visit on doctors' advice as he recovers from lung surgery

Pope Leo XIV will not make his scheduled visit to Assisi on Oct 27, on the advice of his doctors, as he continues to recover from thoracic surgery, the Holy See Press Office announced on Friday.

The 71-year-old pontiff had been due to attend the “Unarmed and Disarming Peace” meeting, which marks the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace convened by St John Paul II in 1986. The gathering, organised by the Community of Sant’Egidio and running from Oct 25 to 27, is expected to draw 384 representatives of religions, cultures and institutions from 53 countries, Vatican News reported.

“To aid his recovery following the thoracic surgery he underwent on Tuesday of last week, Pope Leo XIV will be unable to attend the ‘Unarmed and Disarming Peace’ meeting in Assisi on October 27, as planned,” the statement read.

His doctors, Dr Luigi Carbone and Prof Stefano Margaritora, said a scheduled follow-up chest X-ray confirmed his postoperative recovery was “progressing very well”. But given the short time since the Oct 13 operation — which removed the lower lobe of his right lung — they advised against the planned helicopter journey to Assisi as a precaution, the National Catholic Register reported.

The pope will instead send a message expressing his closeness to the organisers, the leaders and representatives of Christian denominations and other religions, and the guests attending, reaffirming that the “Spirit of Assisi” dialogue and the search for peace are valuable resources in an age of conflict.

Wednesday’s medical bulletin had confirmed the tumour was a localised adenocarcinoma and that no further cancer treatment was necessary. He left hospital on Oct 17 and held his first general audience since the operation on Oct 21, the Associated Press reported.

The Vatican has not said whether his scheduled Nov 6–17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will go ahead, Reuters reported.