Pope Leo XIV's lung cancer diagnosis raises questions about the future of his pontificate. But Vatican watchers say the 71-year-old’s diagnosis could have other unintended effects, not all of them negative. It could propel Leo to accelerate his own agenda and galvanize support for him. And it has placed Leo squarely among the “fragile” and “vulnerable” who have emerged as his central focus. That was displayed clearly during his recent visit to the shrine in Lourdes, France, where millions of pilgrims go each year seeking miraculous cures. Leo's prayer in Lourdes now has greater significance if he had a hint that he, too, was sick.