Pope shares first message to Catholic faithful after lung cancer diagnosis

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Pope Leo XIV thanked fellow Catholics for their prayers on Wednesday in his first message since he underwent surgery for lung cancer in Rome.

“As you know, I have been unable to be among you during these days,” Leo wrote in a statement to Catholics participating in a symposium for the 10th anniversary of Amoris laetitia, a document written by his predecessor Pope Francis.

“I thank you warmly for your prayers and for the work you have done together. Your sharing of experiences and attentive listening are indeed a gift to the whole Church,” he said. “I ask you please to pray for me, as I pray for you.”

Leo was diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma , a common type of lung cancer, during a 90-minute surgery in Rome yesterday wherein doctors removed the lower lobe of one of his lungs, according to medical staff who treated the pontiff.

The pope’s recovery is “proceeding as expected,” Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said in their statement. Leo was able to walk around his quarters in the hospital and ate breakfast and lunch.

The pope announced his planned surgery in a speech over the weekend to faithful in St. Peter’s Square, saying that the “growth” on his lung was found at an early stage.

The pope isn’t known to be a smoker and has made efforts to have a healthy lifestyle, but there is a history of cancer in his immediate family. His older brother Louis Prevost is currently in treatment for cancer, and their parents died of the disease in the 1990s.

Pope Leo has cancelled all his public appearances until October 20 in light of his treatment, though he is due to embark on a long trip to South America next month.

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教宗良十四世周三在罗马接受肺癌手术后发表的首份讲话中，感谢天主教徒们的祈祷。

“如你们所知，这些天我一直无法与你们在一起，”利奥在一份声明中写道。这份声明是写给参加纪念《爱的喜乐》十周年研讨会的天主教徒的，《爱的喜乐》是他的前任教宗方济各撰写的一份文件。

“我衷心感谢你们的祈祷和共同付出的努力。你们分享经验和认真聆听，这的确是整个教会的宝贵财富，”他说。“请你们也为我祈祷，正如我为你们祈祷一样。”

据治疗教宗的医务人员称，利奥教宗昨天在罗马接受了90分钟的手术，医生切除了他一侧肺的下叶，并确诊患有肺腺癌，这是一种常见的肺癌。

教宗的康复“进展顺利”，路易吉·卡尔博内医生和斯特凡诺·马加里托拉教授在声明中表示。利奥教宗已能在医院的病房内走动，并能正常进食早餐和午餐。

教宗周末在圣彼得广场向信徒发表讲话时宣布了他计划接受手术的消息，并表示他肺部的“肿块”发现得早。

教宗并非吸烟者，也一直努力保持健康的生活方式，但他的直系亲属中有癌症病史。他的哥哥路易斯·普雷沃斯特目前正在接受癌症治疗，他们的父母在20世纪90年代因癌症去世。

鉴于教宗利奥三世正在接受治疗，他已取消了10月20日之前的所有公开露面，但他将于下个月启程前往南美洲进行一次长途访问。