Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis is ‘bit of a game-changer,’ Vatican foreign minister says
The Vatican official and archbishop posited that there was a temptation to see the vibrant Pontiff as a “Superman, a Superpope” after the conclave, but his recently diagnosed illness underscores his mortality.
The foreign minister for the Holy See Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher told journalists Oct. 27 that Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis marks a turning point in the pontificate that began just over a year ago, disillusioning the possible perception that the Pontiff would always stay in perfect health.
Archbishop Gallagher said there was a temptation to think of Pope Leo as a “Superpope” after he “hit the ground running” at the start of his pontificate, just weeks after Pope Francis died after a lengthy battle with illness, according to AP News’ Rome-based reporter Nicole Winfield.
“The fact that he has fallen ill with, in many ways, one of the most common illnesses of our age means that he is a poor mortal like the rest of us. And I think that that is going to change how we see him and possibly how he sees himself as well,” the archbishop said.
Pope Leo underwent lung surgery Oct. 13 to remove a localized nodule, as Zeale News reported. Following the successful surgery, he was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer. The tumor removal confirmed that the cancer is localized, and an oncological assessment confirmed no further treatment is needed, the Holy See Press Office announced Oct. 21.
Commenting further on the diagnosis, Archbishop Gallagher said, “Even if the operation has gone well, and everybody (says) there are grounds for considerable optimism, I think it is a bit of a game-changer at the same time.”
According to AP News, Archbishop Gallagher meets with the Pope every Wednesday to update him on foreign policy issues. The archbishop explained that Pope Leo stays very well-informed even outside of their meetings, adding, “nearly everything I say he knows already.”
As the Pope continues recovering at the Vatican from the surgery, the Holy See Press Office announced Oct. 26 that his planned apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, set for Nov. 6-17, will still take place. Archbishop Gallagher told reporters that the Pope didn’t postpone or delay the trip because he wanted to go, adding that the medical advice has been positive, so he feels he can go.
Looking ahead, the archbishop didn’t rule out the possibility of an apostolic journey to the U.S. in the next few years, adding that he thinks Pope Leo is also “quite keen to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at some point,” according to AP News. He also said it was likely Pope Leo would travel to Australia in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress, and to Seoul, South Korea, for 2027 World Youth Day.
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