VATICAN — Shortly after Pope Leo XIV announced he will undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule, Catholic bishops, clergy, religious and other faithful in the U.S. and Canada offered their promise of prayers for his recovery.
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."
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, said the operation will take place this coming week at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
The "estimated post-recovery time will be about one week," said Bruni.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, swiftly promised prayers for the U.S.-born Pope Leo.
"The bishops of the United States join with the faithful and all people of good will in praying for his good health," Archbishop Coakley said in a statement provided to OSV News. "May the hand of Pope Leo's surgeons be guided by the divine physician Jesus Christ."
The archbishop added, "Please find a moment today, as I will, to offer a prayer for Pope Leo and his care team."
In an Oct. 11 statement provided to OSV News, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said it united "with the faithful in prayer" for Pope Leo's health.
"We seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick, asking for a prompt recovery for the Holy Father following his upcoming surgery," said the Canadian bishops.
"I ask all of the people of the Archdiocese of Washington to raise their prayers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that Pope Leo may be sustained in the fullness of health and lead the Church on its pilgrimage of grace and hope with the same vision, holiness, sacrifice and pastoral compassion that have marked his pontificate at every moment since he assumed the Chair of Saint Peter," said Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington in an Oct. 11 message posted by Catholic Standard, the Archdiocese of Washington's news outlet.
The cardinal -- currently in Rome for the Vatican's conference marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation "Amoris Laetitia" -- added, "I would also ask every priest of the Archdiocese to offer Mass for Pope Leo and his health in these days."
In an Oct. 11 Facebook post, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York said he joined "with the bishops, priests, faithful, and all people of good will of the Archdiocese of New York in praying for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as he prepares for his surgery later this week."
The archbishop, currently completing a week-long pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago -- the ancient network of pilgrimage routes through Europe to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain -- said, "Pope Leo will have an even greater remembrance in my prayers" to "Jesus, the Divine Physician" to guide the pope's doctors and care team.
"We believe strongly in the power of prayerful petitions," Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Augustinian Order of which Pope Leo is a member, told OSV News by email.
He added, "The Augustinian brothers and sisters across the globe are praying for our brother Pope Leo XIV. We are praying also for the doctors and entire medical staff who will be assisting him in surgery in the coming days."
The Augustinian Order issued an Oct. 11 message of support saying, "As Augustinians, we pray together for the health of Pope Leo XIV."
"May God bless the Holy Father and his doctors during his upcoming surgery for a nodule found in his lung during a recent exam," said the order in its message, which was provided in Italian, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Augustinian Father Tom McCarthy, prior provincial of the Our Mother of Good Counsel province to which Pope Leo belongs, told OSV News he and his Augustinian brothers "are very sad to hear that Pope Leo needs surgery."
"But," he added, "we are grateful it was caught early. We are offering prayers for the Holy Father and for his doctors, surgeons, nurses, and medical staff who will be caring for him. We are asking everyone to pray for Pope Leo."
Villanova University, Pope Leo's alma mater, said in an Oct. 11 X post that it "joins the global Church in prayer for Pope Leo as he prepares to undergo surgery."
"May God grant the Holy Father strength, healing and a full recovery in the days ahead," said the university.
Augustinian Father Robert Hagan, prior provincial of the order's St. Thomas of Villanova province, told OSV News that prisoners for whom he had celebrated Mass look on Pope Leo as their shepherd and had spontaneously included him in the prayers of the faithful.
Father Hagan recounted that during an Oct. 11 Mass at Pennsylvania's State Correctional Institute Chester, located some 20 miles south of Philadelphia, the prisoner reading the petitions said, "As Pope Leo prepares for his procedure, we pray for him, for his doctors, and in thanksgiving that all will go well."
"This fellow added that in on his own," said Father Hagan. "And I could tell he was a voice of the people."
— Gina Christian, OSV News
Pope Leo XIV to undergo surgery to remove lung nodule
Pope Leo XIV announced that he will undergo surgery after doctors discovered a nodule, or lump, in his lungs.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square Oct. 11, during his Sunday Angelus address, the pope said the nodule was "detected at a very early stage" during a medical checkup and it is "well-contained."
"The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed. The procedure is already scheduled for the coming days," he said.
Concluding his address, the pope thanked the crowds in the square for their "spiritual closeness" and entrusted himself to their prayers.
Responding to questions from journalists, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the surgery is scheduled within "the first few days" of this week and that "the expected post-operative hospital stay is about one week."
The Vatican also confirmed that the pope will undergo the medical procedure at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
-- First reactions to the announcement --
In response to the announcement, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her closeness and that of the Italian government "in this time of trial he is called to face in the coming days."
"The serenity and peace of mind with which he spoke about it during today's Angelus reassures us," Meloni said in a post on X. "I am certain that the Italian people, too, will not fail to offer their support and affection."
In one of the first immediate reactions to the news, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta posted on X, following the Angelus: "The Church in Malta is united in prayer for the Holy Father, wishing him well for the surgery he will be undergoing."
Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops' conference, also urged prayers for the pontiff, saying: "From Rome, I invite the entire Spanish Church, dioceses, institutions of consecrated life, lay communities and associations, all members of the People of God, and our fellow citizens, to pray for the health of our beloved Pope Leo XIV."
Archbishop Argüello is in Rome for Oct. 7-14 gathering of the world's bishops' conference presidents and the heads of Eastern Catholic churches, marking the 10th anniversary of "Amoris Laetitia."
Pope Leo was originally scheduled to celebrate the Oct. 14 closing Mass. However, the Vatican has not announced whether the pope's surgery will take place before or after the Mass.
-- Greeting Peruvian pilgrims, Pope Leo indicated Latin American visit remains on schedule --
The surprise announcement comes less than a month before his longest international trip to date, a 12-day apostolic visit to Latin America that includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
Nevertheless, during his address to pilgrims, the pope greeted members of the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros, or the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles, a Peruvian religious association that spreads devotion to a revered image of Christ crucified, and said he was moving forward with his visit.
"Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit I will fulfill in Peru," the pope said before announcing his surgery.
The pope's surgery is the first major surgical intervention he has publicly disclosed during his pontificate. A pontiff rarely makes medical announcements, which are often handled by the Vatican press office.
On July 12, 1992, St. John Paul II told pilgrims: "I would now like to share something personal with you," and announced that he would be visiting Gemelli "for some diagnostic tests," which resulted in him undergoing surgery to remove a large tumor from his colon.
Pope Francis' visits to Gemelli for checkups or medical procedures, including his 2021 colon surgery and his 2023 abdominal surgery, were disclosed by the press office.
By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News