Full transcript
0:01Just three days before announcing the
0:03need for lung surgery , Leo XV made a
0:05surprising appointment to an office
0:08that plays a key role during a conclave
0:10. And the day before revealing his
0:14health problems , the Pope made further
0:16very significant personnel changes in
0:18the Vatican . Without unnecessary
0:21speculation , one can ask whether , in
0:23light of Sunday's statement , these
0:25decisions take on new meaning .
0:29Meanwhile , we know more and more
0:31details regarding the Holy Father’s
0:33medical exams , and I have also learned
0:35when the Pope’s surgery is set to
0:37take place . In today's video , I first
0:43want to tell you what new things we
0:45know about the Holy Father's state of
0:47health , and then about the Pope's
0:48surprising appointments from the last
0:50few days . Appointments that truly no
0:52one expected . But let's start with the
0:55Pope's health . Leo XIV's surgery is set
0:58to take place in the first days of this
1:00week . That is what the Vatican
1:02officially states . But I have
1:05unofficially learned that the surgery
1:07will take place tomorrow afternoon , and
1:09the Holy Father will be admitted to the
1:11hospital that same morning . And
1:15what’s more , the papal apartment on
1:18the 10th floor of the Gemelli
1:19Polyclinic is already prepared , and it
1:22is the same room where Saint John Paul
1:24II stayed after the assassination
1:26attempt on May 13 , 1981 . So as I say ,
1:31my information is unofficial because ,
1:34in the case of Leo XV , the Vatican has
1:36not yet given an exact time , but one
1:39can see there is a certain urgency . And
1:42what’s more , new details have
1:44appeared regarding the circumstances of
1:46detecting the lesion in his lung . And
1:50according to the information that is
1:52just now reaching us and me from the
1:54Vatican , the first tests were
1:56reportedly carried out about three
1:58weeks ago , likely in connection with a
2:00suspected minor respiratory tract
2:02inflammation . Leo XV simply complained
2:05of something that looked like , well , I
2:07don't know , a small flu or a common
2:09respiratory infection , but the doctors
2:11noticed some irregularities then and
2:14investigated the matter further . And
2:17interestingly , the entire diagnostic
2:19process was kept strictly secret . Only
2:23a few people from his immediate circle
2:25knew about the Holy Father's health
2:27problems , including his personal
2:29secretary , Father Edgar Rimajikuna , and
2:32the papal physician , Luigi Carbone . And
2:38the fact that they managed to keep a
2:40secret in the Vatican is remarkable in
2:42itself and shows Leo XIV's effective
2:44management style , because even the
2:46prefects of the Dicasteries , even other
2:48members of the so-called papal family
2:50— those who see the Pope every day —
2:52they all found out about this planned
2:54surgery only yesterday during the
2:56statement after the Angelus prayer . But
3:02today we know more . In the course of
3:07further diagnostics , a PET scan , or
3:09so-called positron emission tomography ,
3:12was reportedly performed , and it is
3:14used , among other things , to assess
3:16cancerous lesions . Of course , we do not
3:21know whether the doctors suspect a
3:23benign or malignant lesion , and the
3:25mere detection of this nodule in the
3:27lung does not mean a cancer diagnosis .
3:29There is no need to sow panic here . I
3:34am only talking about what information
3:36is currently available and what it
3:38might mean or rule out , because the
3:40Vatican has also indirectly confirmed
3:42that we will only know exactly what is
3:44happening after histopathological
3:46examinations , as spokesman Mateo Bruni
3:48mentioned yesterday that after the
3:50surgery we are still awaiting further
3:52tests and their results . However , we
3:57know that the surgery will be performed
3:59by a team led by Professor Stefano
4:01Margaritora , who is the director of the
4:04thoracic surgery department at the
4:06Gemelli polyclinic . And the Pope will ,
4:09of course , be accompanied by his
4:11personal physician , the aforementioned
4:13Luigi Carbone . Moreover , the
4:18specialists I asked — since I do not
4:20have such knowledge myself — point out
4:23that modern surgical techniques are
4:25truly minimally invasive and , frankly ,
4:27it is not necessary to open up the
4:29entire chest to perform such an
4:31operation . So , the fact that one stays
4:35in the hospital for a few days of
4:37observation afterward is nothing out of
4:39the ordinary . Therefore , the mere fact
4:42that Pope Leo XIV is to remain at
4:44Gemelli for a week or less does not
4:46allow us to draw any conclusions
4:48regarding how advanced the illness is
4:50or what the prognosis might be . Perhaps
4:54it really is just a minor trifle and an
4:56act of caution , and we are , of course ,
4:59praying that this is exactly the case .
5:02Nevertheless , in light of all this
5:04information , a certain event and the
5:06timing of that event , which took place
5:08just a few days before the Pope's
5:10health problems were revealed , take on
5:12special significance . For on Thursday ,
5:18last Thursday , Leo XV approved the
5:20election of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
5:23as Dean of the College of Cardinals .
5:30The prelate from the Philippines , who
5:32was considered a * papabile * during the
5:34last two conclaves — just as a side
5:36note — replaced the 92 - year-old
5:39Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re , who had
5:41led the College of Cardinals since 2020
5:43and whom Francis had approved for
5:46another term in January 2025 , that is ,
5:48a few months before his death . And , of
5:54course , it is no surprise that the 92 -
5:56year-old cardinal resigned from this
5:58position of dean , as it was more of a
6:00surprise that Francis had confirmed him
6:03back in January of last year . But , all
6:06things considered , nothing indicated
6:08that Leo XV was currently contemplating
6:11this position . As I said , there are
6:13always rumors in the Vatican . There has
6:15been gossip for a long time about
6:17certain dicasteries , but no one said
6:19anything about the Dean of the College
6:21of Cardinals , and the position of dean
6:23is not just an honorary title . Yes , he
6:27is the first among equals in the
6:28College of Cardinals . * Primus inter
6:32pares * chairs these works , but above all
6:34, he performs a special and vital
6:36function during the * Sede Vacante * , or
6:39the vacancy of the Holy See , because he
6:41is responsible for convening the
6:43cardinals , and it is also he , provided
6:46he has not yet reached the age of 80 ,
6:48who presides over the Conclave itself .
6:52And it is he who , after the election is
6:54made , asks the new Pope whether he
6:56accepts the election . He asks the pope
6:59for his name . which he intends to take .
7:03And it is not , of course , that he has
7:05any extra vote or veto power or other
7:07special authority , but as you can see ,
7:09he organizes the whole process , and the
7:11Dean of the College of Cardinals is
7:13always an extremely important cardinal
7:16in the Roman Curia . Moreover , the
7:20importance of this function is very
7:22well illustrated by the events of May
7:24last year from the last conclave ,
7:26because the then-Dean could not
7:28participate in the conclave because he
7:30was well over 80 , or even 90 years old .
7:35And the same problem concerned the
7:37Vice-Dean , Cardinal Leonardo Sandri ,
7:39and as a result , the cardinal electors
7:42were presided over by Cardinal Pietro
7:44Parolin , Secretary of State of the Holy
7:46See , number 2 in the Vatican during the
7:49pontificate of Pope Francis . And
7:52therefore , it was basically clear to
7:54everyone that Cardinal Parolin was the
7:56natural successor to the position of
7:58Dean of the College of Cardinals . He
8:04knows the Vatican administration very
8:07well , has enormous diplomatic
8:09experience , and for years he served as ,
8:11to put it delicately , a man who
8:13balances various tensions within the
8:15Roman Curia . He was also a bit of a
8:22buffer for Pope Francis , who had a more
8:24, I would say , chaotic and spontaneous
8:27nature , while Cardinal Parolin is an
8:29official in the good sense of the word ,
8:31meaning orderly , he knows the
8:33structures , knows the procedures , and
8:35sticks to them . He is also very well
8:40predisposed to such a position as Dean .
8:44Furthermore , he has belonged to the
8:46group of cardinal bishops since 2018 ,
8:49therefore longer than Cardinal Tagle ,
8:51who was included in the group of
8:53cardinal bishops only 2 years later . As
8:56you know , among the cardinals there are
8:58certain ranks , and there are cardinal
9:00bishops , cardinal priests , and cardinal
9:03deacons . And in this hierarchy , the
9:06cardinal bishops stand the highest .
9:10There are only a few of them , but it
9:12was decided — I am speaking now about
9:14the position of Dean — on a completely
9:16different candidate , and Pope Francis
9:18agreed to this choice . which was made
9:23by the cardinal bishops , because
9:25according to the regulations , it is the
9:27members of this highest rank of the
9:29College of Cardinals who choose their
9:31Dean , and the Pope confirms this
9:32decision . Interestingly , Tagle is the
9:37first Asian to head the College of
9:39Cardinals , and his ecclesiastical path
9:41differs significantly from Parolin's
9:43career . The Filipino cardinal does not
9:47come from Vatican diplomacy , nor from
9:49any of the traditional administrative
9:51structures of the Holy See . For years
9:55he was a pastor , then Archbishop of
9:57Manila , and was only brought to work in
9:59the Roman Curia by Francis , who in 2019
10:01entrusted him with leading the
10:03Congregation for the Evangelization of
10:06Peoples . But he no longer held that
10:10function , because currently he is only ,
10:12in quotes , pro-prefect of the Dicastery
10:15for Evangelization . However , he has
10:17longer seniority as a cardinal than
10:19Parolin , because I told you earlier
10:21that he has been a cardinal bishop for
10:23less time than Parolin . Yes , that's
10:29true , but he received the cardinalate
10:31back in 2012 , meaning he is a cardinal
10:33created by Benedict XVI , so his
10:35selection can be read as a sign of a
10:37significant change in how the Church's
10:40highest structures are shaped , because
10:42instead of a cardinal who is the
10:44personification of the continuity of
10:46Roman administration , a hierarch from
10:49Asia has taken the lead of the college ,
10:51shaped primarily by pastoral and
10:53missionary experience , much like Leo
10:55XIV himself . And , by the way , this also
11:03refers back to the character of the
11:052005 Conclave , during which the
11:07presence of cardinals from outside
11:09Europe and outside the traditional
11:11curial circles was particularly
11:13strongly felt . It’s not surprising ,
11:17looking at the cardinals Francis
11:19created ; I told you about this during
11:21my reports from the conclave , that last
11:23year , for the first time , it was not
11:26Italian that was the dominant language
11:28of the conclave , but English . And you
11:33can also see this during the current
11:35meeting regarding Amoris Laetitia in
11:37Rome , where bishops from all over the
11:39world are meeting , and the language of
11:41communication is also English . Leo XIV ,
11:45when he was still participating in that
11:48meeting , which he opened , also
11:49addressed his bishops in English . This
11:53matters and shows a certain change in
11:55the Church . Of course , the choice of
11:58Tagle does not mean a simple break with
12:00the previous way of managing the Church
12:02, right ? On the contrary , it testifies
12:07to that characteristic combination for
12:09Leo XIV of attachment to institutions ,
12:11canon law , and tradition , with an
12:13openness to people representing the
12:15experience of the universal Church , but
12:17in the good sense of the word — in the
12:19sense that we don't limit ourselves
12:21only to Rome and Europe , but we see
12:23that the Church is truly present all
12:26over the world . But what’s more , the
12:31choice of the new dean , the choice of
12:33Cardinal Tagle , was not the only
12:35important personnel decision of the
12:36last few days . On Saturday , the day
12:40before the announcement of the need for
12:43surgery , Leo XV appointed Archbishop
12:45Vittorio Francesco Viola as Archpriest
12:48of St. Peter's Basilica . And to the
12:52position of Secretary of the Dicastery
12:54for Divine Worship and the Discipline
12:56of the Sacraments , which was previously
12:58held by Viola , the Pope appointed
13:00Archbishop Aurelio García Masías . Of
13:04course , the choice of Viola as
13:06Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica was
13:08widely commented on . Widely commented
13:10on , and in my opinion unfairly , because
13:13Viola is not at all the progressive
13:15that some would like to portray him as .
13:17But that is not the topic for this
13:19video . If you are interested in having
13:21the new Archpriest introduced here , let
13:23me know in the comments . If there is
13:25interest , I will make a separate video
13:27about it . Let’s return to the recent
13:30decisions of Leo XV , because they mean
13:32that , indeed , in just a few days ,
13:34significant changes have been made at
13:36the top of the College of Cardinals and
13:38in the administration of the Vatican
13:40State . And the question arises : did Leo
13:43XV , knowing the results of his tests ,
13:46want to organize personnel matters
13:48before the surgery ? Such a possibility
13:52cannot be ruled out , just as there is
13:54no proof that his health condition
13:56influenced the timing of the decisions
13:58made . The election of the Dean was ,
14:00after all , primarily a consequence of
14:03the resignation of Cardinal R , who is
14:0592 years old . And the administrative
14:07appointments could have been prepared
14:09for a long time . They were most likely
14:13prepared for a long time , because in
14:15the Vatican , decisions are not made ad
14:17hoc . This also does not mean that
14:20during the surgery the Pope's duties
14:22will pass to the Dean of the College of
14:24Cardinals . No , that's not how it works .
14:27Hospitalization itself , or even general
14:30anesthesia , does not cause a vacancy of
14:33the Apostolic See . No. The importance
14:38of Cardinal Tagle concerns above all
14:40institutional stability and continuity
14:42in the long term , and not any
14:44replacement of the Pope during a
14:46procedure . The Apostolic See , the Roman
14:50Curia , is a very efficient , well-oiled
14:53machine . If the Pope is in the hospital
14:55for a few days , then in this regard ,
14:57absolutely nothing will happen . But the
15:00surgery certainly calls into question
15:03the immediate duties of Leo XIV . If it
15:07takes place tomorrow afternoon , as I
15:09have at least been informed , it is
15:11impossible for the Pope to preside over
15:13the Mass concluding the meeting
15:15dedicated to the tenth anniversary of
15:17the Exhortation Amoris Laetitia . But so
15:22far , at the moment I am recording this
15:24video , the Vatican has not announced an
15:26official change of the celebrant . I
15:30think the planned apostolic journey to
15:32Latin America , including Peru , which is
15:35beloved by Leo XV , is of greater and
15:37more significant importance . And for
15:40now , no changes have been announced to
15:42its schedule . A close friend of Leo XV ,
15:46whom he has known for decades , the
15:48Augustinian Father Alejandro Moral
15:50Antón , with whom I had the opportunity
15:53to speak for my book about Leo , claims
15:55that the Pope decided on such a quick
15:57surgery so that he could recover in
15:59time for this very apostolic journey .
16:02But Father Alejandro points out that he
16:04did not speak with Leo XV about this
16:06subject , but that these are his own
16:08assumptions . We do not know to what
16:11extent the planned surgery will affect
16:13the possibility of making this
16:14pilgrimage . So we still have to wait
16:18for a final assessment of Leo XV's
16:20health , but one cannot fail to notice a
16:22peculiar sequence of events in the
16:24Vatican . We do not know if they are
16:28related , but it is worth knowing about
16:30them , and we know that the personnel
16:32decisions made will have an impact on
16:34the functioning of the Church
16:35regardless of the course of the Pope's
16:37treatment . And finally , I would like to
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