Pope Leo XIV will not travel to Assisi on 27 October for the closing ceremony of an interfaith peace gathering, after his doctors advised against the helicopter trip to protect his recovery from recent chest surgery, Vatican News reports.
The pope underwent an operation at Gemelli Hospital on 13 October to remove a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. In a statement carried by Vatican News, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora said a follow-up chest X-ray, performed as planned, confirmed that the post-operative course has been "excellent." Even so, the physicians said that given how little time has passed since the operation, they were advising against the flight as a precaution.
A separate note from the Holy See Press Office said the pope cannot be present in Assisi on 27 October so that his recovery from the thoracic surgery can proceed. According to Vatican News, he will instead send a message to the organizers, to leaders and representatives of Christian denominations and other religions, and to the guests attending the event.
Why it matters
The Assisi appointment was to be the closing ceremony of "Disarming and Disarmed Peace," a meeting held for the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace that St. John Paul II convoked in 1986. The gathering is organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio, and the pope's participation had been announced at a press conference presenting the event on 6 October — before his surgery.
His absence is therefore a visible one: a pope stepping back from a high-profile interfaith occasion, if only briefly, at the direction of his own medical team. In his message, Vatican News reports, Leo XIV will express closeness to those taking part and will reaffirm his conviction that the "Spirit of Assisi," dialogue, and the search for words and gestures of peace are precious resources in a time of conflicts.
Medical picture and a lighter schedule
The nature of the pope's illness was confirmed in the most recent medical bulletin, released on the evening of Wednesday 21 October, which set out the definitive results of histological examinations and molecular biology analyses. That same communication stated that, following a further oncological assessment, no additional therapy is required for the pope.
Coverage of the pope's treatment has pointed to a longer preventive plan. G1 reported that Leo XIV is expected to undergo immunotherapy intended to keep the lung cancer from returning, while Estadão reported that the course would run for at least three years. Those details come from the Brazilian outlets' reporting rather than from the Vatican statements summarized here.
Gazeta do Povo reported that the pope cancelled the helicopter trip on medical advice, matching the Vatican's account. Folha de S.Paulo reported that the pope called off the Assisi visit following the lung surgery.
According to Vatican News, the pope has continued to keep the commitments already on his agenda in recent days while his recovery period continues at the Vatican.
What to watch: whether the Vatican releases further medical updates, and the content of the pope's message to the Assisi participants on 27 October.
