Pope Leo XIV will skip an interfaith peace gathering in the Italian town of Assisi next week as he continues recovering from lung cancer surgery, with doctors advising him against the helicopter journey from the Vatican.
The 71-year-old pope had been scheduled to attend Tuesday's event, titled “Disarmed and Disarming Peace,” which marks the 40th anniversary of a landmark interfaith prayer meeting convened by St. John Paul II in 1986.
The Vatican said Friday that a follow-up chest X-ray showed Leo was recovering well, but his medical team recommended avoiding the trip as a precaution because of the short time since his operation.
Instead, Leo will send a message to organizers, religious leaders and other participants, expressing his support for the gathering and reaffirming the importance of dialogue and peaceful coexistence amid ongoing conflicts.
The meeting brings together representatives of different faiths to pray for peace and renew the spirit of the 1986 gathering. Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, has long served as a symbol of interfaith dialogue.
The cancellation is the latest adjustment to Leo's schedule following surgery last week to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, where doctors had found a malignant nodule. Tests confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.
The Vatican said subsequent examinations found that the cancer was localized and that Leo would not need further treatment. His activities, however, will continue to be guided by medical advice as he recovers.
Leo returned to the Vatican on Saturday after the operation. Although he has appeared in good health during public appearances since his return, speaking clearly and with a strong voice, doctors are taking precautions while his lungs heal.
The decision to avoid the Assisi trip also comes as the pope prepares for a planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6 to 17. The trip is expected to involve about a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high-altitude destinations.
His surgeon previously said there were no clinical reasons to rule out the Latin American journey. Thoracic surgeons often advise patients to avoid flying for about three weeks after lung surgery, a recovery period that would leave Leo little margin before his scheduled departure.
The Vatican said the pope remains close to those attending the Assisi gathering and believes its message is particularly relevant at a time of international conflict.
