Leo XIV suffering from cancer: political leaders multiply messages of support

First the encouragement, then the wishes for recovery. Since Leo XIV announced that he would have to be operated on, political messages have followed one another. Sunday October 11, at the Angelus, the Pope revealed the discovery of a nodule in the lung, detected “at a very early stage” and “well localized”. He announced an intervention in the coming days and relied on the prayers of the faithful.

Giorgia Meloni immediately expressed her “personal closeness” and that of the Italian government in the face of the upcoming ordeal. The President of the Council underlined “the serenity and tranquility” of her announcement. From Argentina, Javier Milei also sent his affection to the pope “as the intervention approaches,” assuring that his country accompanied him “with affection and prayer.”

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Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, wanted a successful operation and a complete recovery. The Ukrainian president combined these wishes with thanks for the pope's calls for a “dignified and lasting” peace.

After the operation, wishes for recovery

Tuesday October 13, the medical bulletin specified the nature of the disease: lung adenocarcinoma, in other words cancer, confirmed during the intervention. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the right lung. The operation took place without complications.

The messages now also focus on convalescence. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wishes a speedy recovery after an intervention “which was a success”. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State in the United States, says he prays with his wife for the pope's health after his diagnosis, also invoking divine support for caregivers. Bally Bagayoko, mayor of Saint-Denis, expresses his wishes after the operation and emphasizes that “the health and dignity of a human being transcend affiliations and convictions”.

On Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in turn sent all his “thoughts and prayers” to Leo XIV. Hailing “a source of inspiration for Catholics around the world,” he also described the pope as “a voice of peace, humanity and reason in the modern world.”