France Pope

Pope Leo XIV's lung cancer diagnosis raises questions about the future of his pontificate. But Vatican watchers say the 71-year-old’s diagnosis could have other unintended effects, not all of them negative. It could propel Leo to accelerate his own agenda and galvanize support for him. And it has placed Leo squarely among the “fragile” and “vulnerable” who have emerged as his central focus. The Vatican on Thursday said the pope had spent a second peaceful night in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he is expected to recover for about a week. The brief statement specified he got out of bed and had breakfast, which are both good signs for his recovery.