Trump wishes Pope Leo XIV a speedy recovery after lung surgery

President Donald Trump said Thursday he hopes Pope Leo XIV makes a quick recovery from surgery earlier this week to remove a malignant lung tumor. Asked by reporters, Trump said: "I want Pope Leo to get better," and added: "We want to send him our love and our best wishes." His comments come at a time of diplomatic friction between Washington and the Holy See.

Pope recovering well

Surgeons removed a lobe of the pope's lung on Tuesday after a malignant tumor was found there. The Vatican said his recovery is going well and that since Thursday he has been back on a regular hospital floor at the Gemelli Clinic in Rome.

Trump acknowledged the seriousness of the diagnosis. "Any time you have cancer, it's a serious thing," he said, though he said he had heard the prognosis for a cure is good.

The pope's brother and MAGA support

Trump also referred to the pope's brother as a personal friend and called him "a fantastic guy." He said the brother and his wife "are big supporters of the president and his MAGA movement." Louis Prevost, the pope's older brother, is currently undergoing cancer treatment after a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.

Tensions in the background

Trump spoke at a moment of strained relations between the Holy See and his administration. In recent months the pope has criticized US military action in Iran, the treatment of migrants and, more recently, the exclusion of some journalists from White House press conferences.

Trump had accused the pope of weakness in foreign policy.

The pope's recovery is expected to take a week, and his trip to South America remains as scheduled. His calendar has been cleared until October 20. A surgeon consulted about the case cautioned that her patients usually feel fully recovered six to eight weeks after this kind of operation, depending on the individual. The results of the tissue analysis are still pending and will show whether the cancer has spread and what treatment he may need after surgery. Such results normally take 10 to 15 days, though in this case they could arrive in about a week.