"Your announcement at today's Angelus was welcomed with participation and emotion by all the Italian people. In view of your hospitalization in the next few days, may you receive the affectionate thoughts of all Italians, of whom I act as an interpreter by joining you with my staff. The Italian people are close to you and express their feelings of affection to you", wrote the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in the message sent to Pope Leo XIV. "You will be able to count not only on the prayers of the Catholic faithful, but also on the sympathetic thoughts of countless people, in Italy and all over the world, whether they are believers or non-believers. I renew to Your Holiness my most sincere wishes for a peaceful convalescence and a prompt and complete recovery".
Among the first messages of support to arrive was also that of the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: "I would like to express to the Holy Father my personal closeness and that of the Italian government for the test that he is called to face in the coming days. The serenity and tranquility with which he spoke about it in today's Angelus hearten us. I am sure that the Italian people will also not fail to provide their support and affection".
"I address a heartfelt and sincere thought of closeness to the Holy Father. We pray for him, with the best wishes for his surgery and for a speedy recovery. We accompany him in these days with all our affection, always grateful for his constant commitment and for his words", also said the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana.
"We welcome the Holy Father's invitation to spiritual closeness", said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, ensuring remembrance in the celebrations and moments of prayer of the communities. "With all the Churches in Italy - he added - we cling to the Holy Father in these delicate hours. We are close to him, entrusting him to the Lord and to the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. We thank Pope Leo for the simplicity and trust with which he made us participate in this ordeal. We are a family: Holy Father, you are not alone! We accompany you with our prayers and our affection so that the surgery goes well and so that the Lord gives you serenity and strength".
"I send my warmest wishes to the Holy Father for the intervention he will have to face in the next few days. With great affection and profound respect, I am close to him in the hope that he can resume his high ministry as soon as possible, continuing to spread the message of peace, hope and brotherhood throughout the world, which is necessary today more than ever", also declared Elisabetta Casellati, Minister for Institutional Reforms and Regulatory Simplification.
Among the many messages, also that of the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri: "I would like to express my most sincere closeness to Pope Leo
"I would like to extend to the Holy Father, Bishop of Rome, my closeness and that of the entire Lazio community in view of the intervention he will face in the coming days. I accompany with prayer the wish for a speedy and full recovery. At this moment I would like him to receive the affection of those who find comfort and hope in his words. To him, so close to the suffering of others, our embrace goes today", the president of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca, also wrote in a note.
"We are close to the Holy Father in this delicate moment, with the hope that he can better face the intervention planned in the next few days and find as soon as possible the necessary strength to continue his precious service to the Church and to humanity. Our affection and gratitude reach Pope Leo for his constant commitment in favor of peace and the most fragile", wrote Maurizio Lupi, president of Noi Moderati, in a note.
The president of Communion and Liberation, Davide Prosperi, asked the entire Fraternity "to pray for the successful outcome of the operation and for the restoration of the health of the Holy Father, so that he can continue carrying out the task entrusted to him for the unity of the whole Church and for the announcement of the peace that Christ introduces into the world".
"We follow with shared attention the news just announced by the Holy Father and we express our closeness to him. We join in prayer and send him our warmest wishes for the surgery and for a speedy recovery", said the president of the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (Fnomceo), Filippo Anelli, after the Pope's announcement. "His words - continues Anelli - express trust in doctors and their indications, a feeling that we welcome with gratitude and a sense of responsibility. Trusting those who care for us means being able to count on the competence, listening and a human relationship that accompanies every choice, especially in moments of greatest fragility". "Our thoughts - he adds - also go to his colleagues and all the healthcare professionals who will take care of him. We send them a message of support and gratitude for the task they are called to carry out". "On behalf of all Italian doctors and dentists - concludes Anelli - we stand beside the Holy Father with affection and hope. As doctors, we know how important it is, together with treatment, to feel supported and accompanied. In this spirit we wish him to return soon and fully to his mission".
