International News

US Bishops, Lawmakers Offer Prayers for Pope Leo After Cancer Diagnosis

Published October 14, 2026  11:35am EDT
Cameras are setup outside Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in the evening hours of Oct. 13, 2026, where Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery to remove a lung nodule. The Vatican announced that evening the surgery was successful, but revealed the pope was confirmed to have lung cancer. (Photo: OSV News/Stoyan Nenov, Reuters)

by Tablet Staff

WASHINGTON — Following the Holy See’s Oct. 13 announcement that Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed, Church and civic leaders expressed their hope and prayers for his full recovery. 

 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the faithful to pray for Pope Leo in a post on X. 

“Doctors at Gemelli Hospital removed a cancerous tumor from Pope Leo XIV’s right lung, according to the Holy See Press Office,” the post said. “The surgery was successful, with no complications, and the Holy Father has returned to his hospital room. We ask the faithful to continue praying for Pope Leo’s recovery and for the doctors and staff caring for him. We also hold in prayer all who are living with cancer, their families, and those who care for them.” 

Individual bishops and dioceses in the U.S. also urged prayer. 

“I give thanks to Almighty God for our Holy Father’s successful surgery and for the dedicated medical team at Gemelli Hospital,” Bishop Robert Brennan wrote on X. “Pope Leo XVI can be assured of the prayers of the clergy and faithful of Brooklyn and Queens during this time of healing. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, watch over our Holy Father, grant him strength, and guide him toward a full recovery.” 

Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York thanked God that the pope’s surgery was “by all accounts, successful” and added that he joined faithful from the archdiocese, country and the world “in keeping the Holy Father in our prayer.” 

“Friends, please join me in praying for healing for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer,” Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, wrote on X. 

Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of St. Louis asked “all people of good will to join us in prayer for Pope Leo XIV and those who are caring for him.” 

Bishop Mark A. Eckman of Pittsburgh said in a statement he joins Catholics in that diocese “and around the world in lifting up our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in prayer following the news of his surgery and lung cancer diagnosis.” 

“We are grateful to hear that the surgery was successful, and we pray that the Holy Father will experience a full and peaceful recovery,” Bishop Eckman said. “Pope Leo has reminded us of the importance of faith, hope, and caring for one another. Now, as he faces this personal health challenge, we have an opportunity to surround him with the same love and prayerful  support that he so generously offers to the Church and the world.” 

Some U.S. officials and lawmakers also weighed in, including Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, D-Ill., who represents a Chicago-area district. 

“Pope Leo XIV is one of our own, a Chicago kid who carried the values of our neighborhoods all the way onto the world stage, and today our whole city is wishing him strength and a full recovery,” Jackson said in a post on X. “Let his diagnosis also be a reminder to talk with your doctor about lung cancer screening, because catching it early saves lives. Chicago is with you.” 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a post on X, “Jeanette and I are united in prayer for (Pope Leo)’s health following his recent diagnosis.” 

“May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father,” Rubio said. 

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., who is Catholic, wrote in a post on X, “Saint Teresa of Avila reminds us that ‘those who were nearest to Christ our Lord were those who had the greatest trials.'” 

“This is no doubt true of (Pope Leo),” he said. “Please join Mina and me in praying for the Holy Father as he begins this battle to defeat cancer.” 

The 71-year-old pope disclosed during his Oct. 11 Angelus address that doctors had found a “localized nodule” in his lung. He said the nodule was “detected at a very early stage” during “some recent medical examinations.” 

“The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed,” Pope Leo said. 

The pope arrived at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital at about 1 p.m. Rome time on Oct. 13, and underwent the surgery in the late afternoon. 

“The surgery was successful, completed on schedule and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement issued shortly before 8 p.m. 

Just before 10 p.m., a joint statement by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, chief thoracic surgeon at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, and Dr. Luigi Carbone revealed that the “examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests.”