Britain’s King Charles III is writing to Pope Leo XIV after the leader of the world’s Catholics had a cancerous tumour removed from his lung, a royal source said Wednesday
Charles, who is the head of the Church of England, would write privately to the pope to pass on his best wishes, the source said
He and Queen Camilla met with Leo last year at the Vatican shortly after he was elected as pontiff, becoming the first American pope
Part of the pope’s right lung was removed in Tuesday’s operation and the leader of the world’s 14 billion Catholics is awaiting the results of tests to determine if the cancer has spread.
The British monarch is also still being treated for an undisclosed cancer after being diagnosed in early 2024
As monarch, Charles is supreme governor of the Church of England, which was created in the 16th century when English king Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church
In ensuing centuries, relations have steadily improved, but in 2016, some fractures emerged, particularly over the ordination of women, which is forbidden within the Catholic Church
Last year, Charles became the first British monarch to pray publicly with a pope for 500 years in a service presided over by Leo XIV and broadcast live on Vatican media