ACN offers prayers for Pope Leo as lung cancer diagnosis announced

Pontiff had part of lung removed during surgery.

As news emerged that Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer, Aid to the Church in Need invited friends and benefactors to join in prayer for the Holy Father.

Pope Leo XIV holding the papal cross, hand over his heart, in prayer
© Vatican Media

The 71-year-old Pontiff announced on Sunday, October 11, that he would undergo surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. The Pope checked into Gemelli Hospital in Rome Tuesday, October 13, and the Vatican later announced that he procedure was “completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned.”

The Vatican ​said in a bulletin that the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung was removed, and he was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common ​form of lung cancer. The Vatican said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.

“The Holy Father underwent surgery today to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, following the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma,” said a statement issued Tuesday by ACN International spokeswoman Maria Lozano. “We are grateful to hear that Pope Leo XIV’s surgery was successful and that there were no complications. At Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), we keep the Holy Father in our prayers and ask the Lord to grant him strength and a good recovery.

“We invite our friends and benefactors around the world to join us in our prayers,” Lozano concluded.

Pope Leo’s recovery is expected to ​take about a week.

The German news agency Deutsche Welle cited oncologists saying that Leo has an excellent prognosis since the cancerous nodule was caught early.

A Vatican source cited by AFP news agency said further tests were being carried out to determine if the cancer had spread further.

–John Burger