Pope Leo XIV has returned to public duties after surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung, telling thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square that he would gradually resume his activities.
The 71-year-old pontiff appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace for the traditional Angelus blessing, four days after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
“Now that this delicate phase is behind me, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers,” he said, speaking in a strong voice.
The crowd cheered as the Pope waved from the window. He thanked those who had supported him during his four-day hospital stay and said the experience had brought him closer to people living with illness or infirmity.
“I have truly felt your support,” Leo said, expressing “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at Gemelli Hospital”.
He paused briefly before returning to his apartment in the Apostolic Palace. A delegation from Africa, in Rome for a congress, danced and ululated after receiving his blessing.
“He was always in our prayers when he was sick, and we are happy to see him today,” said Alain Kalembu, from the Democratic Republic of Congo. “This is an expression of our joy.”
The operation was the first major health event of Leo’s 17-month pontificate and confirmed that the tumour was adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. The Vatican has not released information about his prognosis.
Histological tests on the tumour and related lymph nodes are under way. The results, including details of its molecular and genetic characteristics, will help doctors decide whether further treatment is needed, with possible options including chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted oral therapy.
Leo was discharged on Saturday and told a reporter in English that he was doing “much better” as he left the hospital. His rapid return to the Vatican surprised some visitors to St Peter’s Square.
“I don’t believe it, because he was just operated on the other day,” said Cosimo Mastrocinque, a retired factory worker from Puglia. “It is a miracle that he recovered already.”
His next major engagement is scheduled to be a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. The trip includes a dozen flights and two helicopter journeys to high altitudes.
Leo’s surgeon, Dr Stefano Margaritora, said there were “no clinical reasons” why the trip should not go ahead and expected the Pope to recover fully from the operation “in another 10 days or so”.
