Pope Leo XIV sends message after surgery to Vatican conference and asks for prayers

Pope Leo XIV sent a message to participants of a Vatican conference asking for prayers as he recovers from lung cancer surgery in Rome. The message, dated Oct. 14, was read at the conclusion of the conference titled "10 Years After Amoris Laetitia: Proclaiming the Gospel with Families Today."

In the message, the pope thanked clergy and lay Catholics for their work and requested their prayers. He encouraged participants to bring the insights from the meeting back to their dioceses and bishops' conferences to help families remain active in the mission of local churches.

The conference examined the legacy of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia and ways to strengthen family participation in the Church. During the closing Mass, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered a homily prepared by the pope. The homily stated that the world requires strong families and that faith communities should accompany those facing hardship with compassion.