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US Bishops, Lawmakers Pray for Pope Leo After Cancer Diagnosis

10:08 PM ETConfirmed

Faith Desk

In Short: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the faithful to pray for Pope Leo XIV after he underwent surgery for lung cancer.

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung, according to a statement from the Vatican and doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

The 71-year-old pontiff disclosed during his Oct. 11 Angelus address that doctors had found a “localized nodule” in his lung, detected at a very early stage.

Doctors at Gemelli Hospital removed the lower lobe of Pope Leo’s right lung, confirming the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

In a joint statement, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, chief thoracic surgeon at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, and Dr. Luigi Carbone said the examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by preoperative tests.

Pope Leo XIV said he had decided to undergo surgery to have the nodule removed, following the advice of his doctors.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the faithful to pray for Pope Leo in a post on X, emphasizing the importance of faith, hope, and caring for one another.

Spanish lawmakers and communities, including abuse victims, also offered their prayers and support during Pope Leo’s seven-day trip to Spain.

Pope Leo XIV continued his visit to Spain with visits to Catholic sites, meetings with numerous communities, and a historic address to the Spanish Parliament.

The pope’s visit to Spain included a Eucharistic procession at the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, where he celebrated Mass and interacted with young flower girls.

In his address to the Spanish Parliament, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the protection of the right to life as the indispensable foundation of every other human right.

Pope Leo XIV also addressed French lawmakers during his visit to France, urging them to welcome life unconditionally and support frailty with loving care.

The pope’s visit to France included a call for the protection of human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence, a topic of growing concern among Catholic leaders.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the faithful to pray for Pope Leo in a post on X.
• The 71-year-old pope disclosed during his Oct. 11 Angelus address that doctors had found a “localized nodule” in his lung.
• “The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed,” Pope Leo said.
• ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday that confirmed that he has lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said.
• “May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father,” Rubio said.
• Irenaeus of Lyon and the baptism of Clovis, the King of the Franks, in 496, whose conversion led France to be known as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church.” While France is a traditionally Catholic country, today the government maintains a strict form of secularism in public life called “laïcité” that separates church and state.
• Amid recent calls from several artificial intelligence leaders for a slowdown in the technology’s development, the nation’s Catholic bishops are engaging tech leaders and lawmakers to address concerns over AI and online child safety.
• The motto for the papal visit is “That the world may have life” (John 6:51), a theme that resonates with the faithful in the country after a vote by French lawmakers in July to legalize “assisted dying,” including euthanasia and assisted suicide in certain cases, a move that French bishops called a “radical choice.” The French Parliament also made abortion a constitutional right in 2024.

What's still developing

• See below for photos of Pope Leo XIVʼs activities in Spain.
• Pope Leo XIV told sick pilgrims and health care workers in Lourdes, France, on Sunday (Sept. 27) that they "must reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion."
• "You are the beating heart of our humanity." French evangelicals have raised a similar concern about pressure on vulnerable patients.
• In its press release, the USCCB said Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California — home to Silicon Valley and the hub of AI development — will chair its Bishops’ Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
• U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed alarms over AI dangers, calling the issue a “hoax” in an onstage phone call to NVIDIA chief Jensen Huang during Huang’s talk at a Sept. 14 conference in Los Angeles.
• Speaking generally, Ráez said that for early-stage lung cancer, “the chance of cure is 80 to 90%,” adding that tumors under four centimeters typically need no further treatment beyond follow-up scans every six months for five years, while larger ones usually call for chemotherapy.
• Cahill, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, urged U.S. officials and lawmakers to enact policy that upholds the "God-given human dignity" of migrants and prevents the separation of families.
• "This requires promoting family unity and reunification whenever possible."
• “It’s a very well-established technology. This is something we have been doing for 20 years,” he said.
• “Let us not forget that mutual respect and the protection of every human life is a duty incumbent upon each and every one of us,” Pope Leo said, recalling that the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” was first proclaimed in Paris.

Sources

• National Catholic Registerlink
• Religionnewslink
• The Catholic Telegraphlink
• Christiandailylink
• OSV Newslink
• Thefloridacatholiclink
• Thedialoglink
• Americamagazinelink
• Ewtnnewslink
• Angelusnewslink
• Abc7Chicagolink
• Cathstanlink
• WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Urges Prayers for Peace During October link
• WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Meets US Bishops at Vatican link
• ABC 7 Chicago — video link