Pope Leo keeps Nov. 6-17 South America trip after lung surgery
What's new: Doctors cleared the 10-city journey, which includes about 31,000 kilometers of travel and high-altitude stops.
Pope Leo XIV will keep his Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru after post-surgery checks found no medical reason to cancel the visit, the Vatican said Monday. The 71-year-old pontiff is recovering from Oct. 13 surgery that removed the lower lobe of his right lung, where doctors found adenocarcinoma. The Vatican said his condition remains favorable and the itinerary will go ahead without changes. The 10-city tour covers about 31,000 kilometers and includes a dozen flights and two helicopter rides. Leo, the first U.S. pope, spent decades as a missionary in Peru, making the visit a personal return to a region central to his ministry.