President Marcos prays for speedy recovery of Pope Leo

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday offered prayers for the full recovery of Pope Leo XIV following the pontiff’s lung cancer diagnosis.

“The entire Filipino nation joins the Catholic faithful around the world in praying for the swift and full recovery of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,” he said in a Facebook post.

Marcos expressed hope that the Pope would regain his health and continue providing spiritual leadership to the Catholic faithful.

“We look forward to his return to good health and to his continued spiritual leadership, guidance and blessings for the faithful,” he added.

Pope Leo XIV, 71, underwent surgery on Tuesday at Gemelli Hospital in Rome to remove a lower lobe of his right lung after doctors detected a small, localized lung nodule.

The Vatican confirmed that the procedure was successful and that tissue tests established a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of non-small cell lung cancer.

According to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, lung adenocarcinoma accounts for about 40 percent of all lung cancer cases worldwide.