Will the Pope Still Come to Peru? How 1,200 Gamarra Vendors Are Counting Down to a $3M Decision

Saleswoman Vicky Quinones (L) cuts designs to print T-shirts with the image of the new Pope Leo XIV, US Cardinal Robert Prevost, at "Emporio Comercial de Gamarra" in Lima on May 9, 2025. Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025. The US-born pontiff, close to Pope Francis, became a Peruvian national in 2015 and dedicated more than 20 years as a missionary in Peru. (Credit: Photo by CONNIE FRANCE / AFP) (Photo by CONNIE FRANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

The Briefing:

• Surgery confirmed: Pope Leo XIV had the lower lobe of his right lung surgically removed at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on October 13; doctors confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, detected early with a prognosis described as excellent.
• Vatican's wait-and-see stance: Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said two days after the operation that the November 6–17 apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru would hinge on how the Pope's recovery progresses — leaving the trip officially unconfirmed as of October 17.
• The commercial stakes: In Lima's Gamarra textile hub, approximately 1,200 small businesses have an estimated S/11 million (~$3 million) in papal merchandise sitting frozen while the Vatican weighs its options.