Political and religious leaders responded with prayers and messages of support after the Vatican’s announcement on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV had undergone surgery for lung cancer.
The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, wished the pope a speedy recovery and said on social media that his thoughts and prayers were with him and “the Catholic community worldwide.”
The Vatican said the 90-minute procedure had successfully removed part of the pope’s right lung. The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, a Catholic, said his thoughts and prayers were with the spiritual leader as he recovers.
“Pope Leo XIV is a source of inspiration to Catholics right around the world,” Mr. Albanese wrote on social media. “He is a voice for peace, humanity and reason in our modern world.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic, said that he and his wife were praying for the pope. “May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father,” he wrote.
Some said the pope’s illness should be a reminder to pray for others who have cancer or to get screenings themselves. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged people to pray not only for the pope but also for his caregivers.
“We ask the faithful to continue praying for Pope Leo’s recovery and for the doctors and staff caring for him,” the group wrote. “We also hold in prayer all who are living with cancer, their families, and those who care for them.”
Ronald A. Hicks, who was named archbishop of New York by Pope Leo, wished the pontiff well on behalf of the archdiocese, the country and the world. His counterpart in San Francisco, Salvatore J. Cordileone, gave thanks for the pope’s successful surgery and urged people to join him in praying for the patient and his medical team “as they discern the next steps in his treatment.”
Alexander Sample, the archbishop of Portland, Ore., asked Catholics and “all people of good will” to pray for the pope’s recovery.
“At a time when war, division and uncertainty weigh heavily on people around the world, the Holy Father’s calls for peace, dialogue and respect for the dignity of every person offer a much-needed message of hope to people everywhere,” he wrote.
Pope Leo’s plight was also addressed by a lawmaker from his home state of Illinois.
Calling the pontiff “one of our own,” Representative Jonathan L. Jackson, Democrat of Illinois, wrote that the Catholic leader was “a Chicago kid who carried the values of our neighborhoods all the way onto the world stage,” and that the whole city was with him now and wished him strength and a full recovery.
Mr. Jackson also urged people to talk to their doctors, in light of the pope’s lung cancer diagnosis, noting that “catching it early saves lives.”
Anthony Scaramucci, a podcaster and former White House communications director for President Trump, kept his message short: “We pray for the Holy Father today and everyday.”
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