Pope resumes South America trip plans after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV will travel to South America in November, three weeks after surgery to remove part of his right lung. Doctors found cancer in his lung on October 13, 2026, and operated the same day. The Vatican said the surgery went well and there were no complications. The pope started eating normally and walking again within days. Medical tests showed he was fit to travel. The trip runs from November 6 to 17 and covers ten cities across Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It includes fourteen flights and many public events. One stop is Cuzco, Peru, which sits at over 11,000 feet above sea level. The pope is 71 years old and this was his first serious health problem since becoming pope seventeen months ago.