The Ottawa Catholic School Board is asking its school communities to keep Pope Leo XIV in their prayers following news that the pontiff has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
In a statement posted to its website on Oct. 13, the board said Catholics around the world are praying for the pope following the diagnosis, and that his surgery was successful.
"We are grateful to hear that his surgery was successful, and we pray for his continued healing, strength and recovery," the Ottawa Catholic School Board said in the message.
The board described itself as a Catholic school community holding the Holy Father in its thoughts during a difficult period.
"As a Catholic school community, we hold the Holy Father in our hearts and prayers during this difficult time," the statement read.
The board expressed hope that the pope will find comfort in his faith and in the love and support of the many people praying for him around the world.
It closed the message by asking for God's blessing for Pope Leo XIV and for guidance on his journey to recovery.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board operates Catholic schools across Ottawa. In its statement, the board also noted that its schools are located on the ancestral, traditional and unceded Indigenous territory of the Algonquin Peoples.
