In St. Peter's Square in Rome, the faithful faced the news with some concern Wednesday morning, as the pope began his convalescence in uncertainty after his operation for lung cancer.
The announcement made an impression, particularly for faithful French people like Serge, who came from Angers, for whom the September trip remains in the memories.
Sister Mireille, originally from the Republic of Congo and present at the mass, confided that it has been a shock since the detection of this tumor, although nurses like her believe that it will be cured thanks to doctors and treatments.
The first news came during a mass for families, where the dean of cardinals, Monsignor Taglé, read in place of Leo XIV the homily that the latter was to deliver.