Pope Leo XIV cancels Assisi trip on doctors' advice as he recovers from surgery

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV volition miss a planned travel to Assisi adjacent week connected doctors’ orders arsenic helium continues recovering from thoracic country helium underwent past Tuesday, the Vatican said Friday.

The pope had been owed to be an Oct. 27 gathering marking the 40th day of St. John Paul II’s World Day of Prayer for Peace.

In a statement, the Vatican said Leo was advised not to question “to facilitate his recovery” from the surgery. The pope volition alternatively nonstop a connection to organizers, Christian and different spiritual leaders, and guests attending the event, titled “Disarmed and Disarming Peace.”

The Vatican said Leo wanted to explicit his closeness to participants and reaffirm his content that the “spirit of Assisi,” dialog and the hunt for words and gestures of bid stay invaluable resources astatine a clip of conflict.

The Assisi gathering commemorates the landmark interfaith bid gathering convened by St. John Paul II successful 1986.

The cancellation is the latest alteration to Leo’s docket since helium underwent thoracic country past week.

The Vatican has said the pope’s activities volition beryllium guided by aesculapian proposal during his recovery.

Pope Leo volition request nary further attraction for lung crab aft tests confirmed the illness was localized, the Vatican said Wednesday.

Leo, 71, had portion of 1 lung removed past week successful the archetypal large wellness lawsuit of his 17-month pontificate. The country confirmed helium had adenocarcinoma, the astir communal benignant of lung cancer.