By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

US President Donald Trump has wished Pope Leo XIV a speedy recovery following the pontiff’s surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his lung.

Trump expressed his concern on Wednesday, October 15, saying he hoped the Catholic leader would recover quickly, while noting that the early medical outlook appeared encouraging.

“I want to see Pope Leo get well,” Trump told reporters after addressing a campaign rally in Arizona.

“Anytime you have cancer, but the prognosis seems to be good,” he added, before wishing the pontiff a quick recovery.

Pope Leo’s medical team said on Wednesday that the 71-year-old was already out of bed, walking and eating following the operation in Rome.

However, the pontiff is still awaiting biopsy results that will help doctors determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the affected area.

Messages of support have continued to arrive from different parts of the world as the head of the Catholic Church recovers from the operation.

Well-wishers include people from Chiclayo in northern Peru, where Leo served as a bishop for eight years, as well as Chicago, his hometown in the United States.

Other prominent figures have also sent their best wishes, including Britain’s King Charles III, who is receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

Charles made history last year when he became the first British monarch to pray publicly with a pope since the Church of England separated from the Vatican about 500 years ago.

Trump also spoke about his relationship with the pope’s brother, Louis Prevost, whom he described as a friend and a strong supporter of his political movement.

According to the US president, he had spoken with Louis in the past and noted the close bond between the brothers.

“His brother’s a friend of mine who’s a great, he’s a fantastic guy, and his wife. You know, they’re big Trump supporters,” Trump said.

He added that Louis deeply cared for the pontiff, saying the family’s concern for the pope was reassuring to him.

Although Pope Leo XIV has expressed affection for the United States, his calls for tolerance and the protection of migrants have sometimes put him at odds with the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

The Vatican has raised concerns about the treatment of migrants, while Trump’s government has pursued stricter immigration enforcement, including the use of detention facilities.

Despite these differences, Trump’s latest remarks focused on the pope’s health and his hopes for a successful recovery.

Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, heads a global community of approximately 1.4 billion faithful. His recovery is being closely followed by Catholics and other supporters around the world as they await further updates from his medical team.