Italy 'close' to pope as he prepares for lung surgery

(ANSA) - ROME, 12 OTT - President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Giorgia Meloni have both reaffirmed Italy's closeness to Pope Leo XIV after the leader of the Catholic Church announced on Sunday that he will have surgery on lung nodule in the next few days. The pope will have the operation at Rome's Gemelli hospital, which also treated his predecessors from John Paul II onwards, and the Vatican said it should take about a week for him to recover. "As you prepare for your hospital stay in the coming days, please accept the affectionate thoughts of all Italians—sentiments I convey on their behalf, joined by my own," Mattarella said in a statement. "The Italian people stand with you and offer you their heartfelt affection. "You can count not only on the prayers of the Catholic faithful but also on the caring thoughts of countless people—both believers and non-believers—across Italy and around the world. "I once again offer your holiness my sincerest wishes for a peaceful convalescence and a swift, complete recovery". In a message on X, Meloni expressed "my personal closeness and that of the Italian Government" for the "trial" Leo is facing. "I am certain that the Italian people too will not fail to offer their support and affection," she said. (ANSA).
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