Leo XIV’s cancer diagnosis upends the pontificate: ‘We thought we had a pope for 20 years; this changes everything in the Curia’
The pontiff’s tumor forces a rethink of his schedule, puts the November trip to Latin America in doubt, and raises questions about the future of his mandate
Black News 
Overnight, the atmosphere at the Vatican has shifted and the future has become more uncertain. The news of Pope Leo XIV’s cancerous tumor has caused devastation, just 17 months after his election in May 2025, at a time when, at 71 and in good physical condition, he was thought likely to remain pope for many years. “We thought we had a pope for 20 years and now it’s no longer clear; this changes everything in the Curia, all the dynamics,” a prelate admits.
