Justin McLellan

Even with a portion of his lung removed less than four weeks ago, Pope Leo XIV began his 12-day, three-nation tour of South America stating that he never thought the longest trip of his pontificate was truly in jeopardy.

Maria Montserrat "Montse" Álvarado's appointment was seen as an effort to bring American management style to the Vatican's sprawling communications operation and diversify its historically Italian-dominated leadership.
 

Latin America is where the U.S.-born future pope spent more than two decades as a missionary priest and bishop. His homecoming in Peru and to the city of Chiclayo in particular, has been highly anticipated.

Pope Leo XIV appears to have fully bounced back from the lung operation that sent him to the hospital less than three weeks ago: On the stage of the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall, he dribbled a basketball to the delight of 7,000 fans of Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame. 

Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to vote in a U.S. election by submitting a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago, the Vatican has confirmed. 

The Nov. 1 matchup in Rome between Villanova and Notre Dame will open the NCAA men's and women's basketball seasons. The congregations that founded and run the two universities have placed a wager on the outcome.

Pope Leo XIV's doctors said on Wednesday that his lung cancer did not spread beyond a malignant tumor that was removed during his Oct. 13 operation. They stated, "No further treatment is necessary."

"I hope we'll see a little bit of a slowing down in the pace, but other than that, I'll be surprised if there were any change in the velocity of the change in personnel" at the Vatican, Fr. Arthur Purcaro said. 

Pontiff released four days after surgery to remove a growth from his lung.

Pope Leo XIV's calm "has been his style for many, many years," says one archbishop. "I don't think he is going to change overnight."

Pope Leo XIV continues to recover from surgery to remove a tumor in his lung, the Vatican said, but no further details about tests to determine the status of his cancer were provided.

Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing a successful lung operation on Tuesday, issuing a seismic shock to the Catholic faithful and altering the image of his 17-month pontificate.

Archbishop Renzo Pegoraro told National Catholic Reporter Oct. 12 that tech companies have a moral obligation to refuse participation in streaming an upcoming federal execution by firing squad.

Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to the hospital on Oct. 13 for surgery to remove a lump found in his lung, the Vatican said, marking a change to the pope's schedule amid his first health scare as pope.

The pope's operation will take place early this coming week at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where the popes typically receive medical care, and he is expected to remain in recovery for a week, the Vatican said. 

The synodal shift "doesn't make a lot of noise, but it's something deep," said Sr. Nathalie Becquart. "There is still a lot to do, but people are more and more confident that this is the way forward." 

Pope Leo XIV named Irish Sr. Mary Teresa Barron to lead the Vatican's global network of missionary societies, making her the first woman to hold the post.

The pontiff has convened 152 church leaders and theological experts to assess the reception of Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love") 10 years after its publication.
 

Leo was No. 18 on the magazine's "New Establishment list" which identifies "people who have defined the moment  — from the Information Age to the dot-com bubble, the financial crisis to the social media tidal wave."

Pope Leo XIV spoke about the regulation of AI during his return flight to Rome, stating that concerns expressed by tech industry leaders over the catastrophic risks to humanity posed by the technology are not "fake news."