Mastodon
RNS logo
News

Grueling itinerary set for pope's first post-surgery trip

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis, 84, had already confessed that during his last trip, to Iraq in March, he thought he might need to slow down his normally rigorous travel schedule.
Grueling itinerary set for pope’s first post-surgery trip
Pope Francis salutes the crowd as he arrives for the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Wednesday released a grueling travel itinerary for Pope Francis’ first post-surgery foreign trip, scheduling around-the-clock encounters and hopscotching flights for his Sept. 12-15 visit to Hungary and Slovakia.

Francis, 84, had already confessed that during his last trip, to Iraq in March, he felt the weight of his years and thought he might need to slow down his normally rigorous travel schedule.

Since then, Francis was hospitalized this month for 10 days after having half of his colon removed, and is still recovering back at the Vatican.


Nevertheless, the trip itinerary released Wednesday indicated no slowdown and in fact included separate encounters with Jewish groups, Roma and even the Slovakian president of the parliament which go beyond the basic contingent of religious and political events that are usually included in a papal visit.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
No paywalls here. Thanks to you.
As an independent nonprofit, RNS believes everyone should have access to coverage of religion that is fair, thoughtful and inclusive. That's why you will never hit a paywall on our site; you can read all the stories and columns you want, free of charge (and we hope you read a lot of them!)

But, of course, producing this journalism carries a high cost, to support the reporters, editors, columnists, and the behind-the-scenes staff that keep this site up and running. That's why we ask that if you can, you consider becoming one of our donors. Any amount helps, and because we're a nonprofit, all of it goes to support our mission: To produce thoughtful, factual coverage of religion that helps you better understand the world. Thank you for reading and supporting RNS.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today