In addition to stressing that he skipped speeches during his five-day trip to Portugal and instead talked spontaneously to better connect with young people, Pope Francis revealed on Sunday that his recuperation from his most recent abdominal surgery is proceeding well.
On the way home from Lisbon, where he presided over the World Youth Day event, Pope Francis was questioned about his health.
Pope Francis First Vacation After Hospital Stay
It was his first vacation since he spent nine days in the hospital in June after an emergency operation to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair an abdominal hernia.
The 86-year-old pontiff frequently deviated from his speeches, homilies, and even prayers during the trip, which took place during a heat wave that caused temperatures to reach 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in Lisbon.
The majority of the time, speeches, homilies, and even prayers are written with particular occasions and audiences in mind months in advance.
One of the most glaring absences was a prayer for peace that Francis is said to have offered at the famed Fatima site in Portugal, which has a long history of being linked to peace initiatives and Russia’s conversion after World War I.
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Papal Prayer Amid Diplomatic Dilemma
A papal prayer for peace at Fatima was one of the highlights of Francis’ trip due to Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but it also presented potential issues because the Vatican wants to keep good relations with Moscow and the Russian Orthodox Church, which has strongly backed the Kremlin’s invasion.
According to a Vatican source who requested anonymity, Francis had initially intended to visit Fatima alone himself and with a small group of gendarmes, but he changed his mind in favor of a formal visit.
The source disputed that Francis’ decision-making was influenced by ecclesial-diplomatic concerns, arguing that the exclusion was an effort to divorce Fatima’s mystical-religious significance from its Soviet and First World War background.
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