Children receiving treatment in the pediatric oncology ward of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital have sent Pope Leo XIV letters and drawings, assuring him of their prayers as he recovers from lung surgery, Vatican News reported.
The Holy See Press Office released images of the children’s messages and artwork on Friday, October 16, sharing their words of encouragement and reflections on illness, faith, and hope.
‘My mom and I pray for you every evening’
Angelo, seven, had been hospitalized for 36 days. In his letter, he said he was from Taurisano, in the province of Lecce, and, like the Pope, was staying on the hospital’s tenth floor after undergoing head surgery.
“My mom and I pray for you every evening,” he wrote. “I wish you a speedy recovery.”
He also sent the Pope a drawing of a tree whose leaves were beginning to fall, a meadow, and birds flying beneath a large, bright sun.
‘Faith moves mountains’
Eleonora, who comes from an Italian-Chilean family, had received treatment in the children’s hospital’s Neurosurgery and Oncology Department.
In a family letter written in Spanish, her mother, Maria Graziela, explained that the girl was now healthy and reflected on their experience of faith.
“Faith moves mountains,” she wrote.
“God has heard our prayers,” she added, referring to the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Fatima, and the Archangel Raphael.
The family also entrusted the Bishop of Rome to their care, asking God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the guardian angels to protect him.
“Pope Leo, our prayers are for you,” they wrote, adding, “May God, the Most Holy Virgin, and the guardian angels always protect you.”
‘Better days will come. We are united in prayer’
Giorgia, 18, wrote to the Pope in English about how illness had turned her world upside down and forced her to put her dreams on hold while focusing on her health.
Through the experience, however, she had discovered gratitude for the care she received and the opportunity to recover. She reflected on how illness had changed her outlook and given new value to things she had once taken for granted.
“I believe what they say is true, that you can find something good in everything,” she wrote.
She said hearing news reports about the Pope’s condition had made her feel closer to him because they were experiencing similar challenges.
“When I heard on the news about you and your situation, I felt it a thousand times harder, because in some ways we are going through the same thing, and it made me feel closer to you.”
Giorgia said she was praying that both she and the Pope would recover and asked him to pray with her.
“Better days will come for the both of us. I'm sure of that,” she wrote. “We are united in prayer for us and for those facing the same situation."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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