Full disclosure: I am not Catholic. But Pope Leo XIV is the most worldly, outspoken, and widely relatable Pope of my lifetime . . . a man whom I have come to admire greatly for his grace, humility, and generosity of spirit. So it was with great distress that I learned that his surgery today had disclosed the presence of a malignant growth in one of his lungs.

Bad things should not happen to good people. But they do. And the good news today is that his prognosis is excellent due to early detection and treatment, and his general good health.

One of the things I find most endearing about Pope Leo is his sense of humor, which doesn’t seem to fail him in even the most trying of times. He has been quoted as having prayed, during a time in 1985 when he was suffering from typhoid fever and hooked up to an IV in a hospital in Peru:

“If this is your sense of humor, Lord, I think you could do a little better.”

– Elise Ann Allen, “Pope Leo XIV: The Biography” (2025)

Now, along with much of the world, I wish him a speedy and complete recovery, and urge him not to undertake too much too soon. The world needs his wisdom and guidance for many more years to come.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/26