At 71, Pope Leo XIV certainly gave the impression of having boundless energy during his recent visit to France. Over four packed days, he celebrated Mass before enormous crowds, delivered speeches, met countless faithful, and somehow found the strength to keep smiling and greeting people who had waited hours for a glimpse of him — and let’s not forget, blessing something like a billion babies among the way! At Lourdes, he prayed at the grotto, spent time with sick pilgrims, celebrated Mass before some 150,000 people, and joined the torchlight procession. It was an exhausting schedule for anyone, let alone a man in his 70s. Yet barely two weeks later, on October 13, the Holy Father was undergoing surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to remove a suspicious nodule from his lung, subsequently confirmed to be cancerous. The Vatican has not revealed exactly when Leo learned of his health concerns, although the examinations and preparations required Read More…

The intriguing date of Pope Leo’s surgery