Following a political rally in Arizona, President Donald Trump addressed the media at Bullhead International Airport regarding Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis, offering brief well-wishes before pivoting the conversation to praise the pontiff’s brother, an outspoken MAGA supporter.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma: A form of lung cancer.
- Surgical Resection: The Vatican confirmed that the 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
- Recovery Timeline: The pope canceled all audiences through October 20 as he recovers.
Surgical Details and the Vatican Announcement
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV underwent a successful surgical procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung following diagnostic tests that identified pulmonary adenocarcinoma. While medical professionals have not publicly disclosed the specific clinical stage or extent of the disease, USA Today noted that surgical intervention indicates the pre-operative evaluation showed no definitive evidence of systemic spread. Dr. James Stevenson of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute explained via USA Today that when such tumors are detected early and completely excised, the intervention can be highly effective.
Pope Leo XIV’s surgery to remove a “small, localized nodule” from his lung was successful and he has returned to his room in the Gemelli Hospital, according to the Holy See Press Office. pic.twitter.com/fWQ89xj6Xa
The procedure was completed within the expected timeframe, and the Holy Father has since returned to his room. However, recuperation protocols require a strict hiatus from public engagements, with all papal audiences canceled until October 20.
Political Pivots at Bullhead International Airport
Speaking to reporters outside Bullhead City after a campaign event, Trump acknowledged the gravity of the diagnosis before shifting the discussion to the pope’s eldest brother, Louis Prevost. I hear the prognosis for that type of a problem… it’s a cancer, it’s big stuff anytime you have cancer, but the prognosis seems to be good,
Trump stated, as documented by USA Today. Immediately following these remarks, the president highlighted Prevost’s allegiance to the MAGA movement, describing him as a personal friend and noting that they have MAGA all over their house.
Relations between the Vatican and the White House have previously experienced tension.
White House Ties and Prior Statements
Trump previously expressed his preference for the pope’s brother in an April Truth Social post, writing, Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,
and adding, I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA.
He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!
The president also claimed that if he were not in the White House, Leo would not be in the Vatican. I want to shake his hand.
I want to give him a big hug.
A photo from the White House shows Louis Prevost and his wife Deborah smiling next to Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
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