Thousands of worshippers filled St Peter’s Square with cheers as Pope Leo led a prayer service following surgery for lung cancer.
The pontiff appeared at a window of the Apostolic Palace to the sound of repeated cries of “Viva il papa!” before concluding a difficult week with his first Angelus prayer since leaving hospital.
The 71-year-old head of the Catholic Church thanked supporters around the world and said he would return to his duties “gradually”.
His appearance marked a striking recovery after he was discharged on Saturday, only four days after surgeons removed a cancerous mass from his lung.
The Pope underwent a 90-minute operation on Tuesday morning after doctors discovered a lesion in his chest. He was subsequently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and part of his right lung was removed.
Doctors are still examining the tumour and nearby lymph nodes. Those findings, together with analysis of the tumour’s molecular and genetic profile, will determine whether further treatment is necessary.
Potential treatments could include chemotherapy, chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, or an oral targeted medicine selected according to the tumour’s genetic features.
Smiling and speaking clearly from the Vatican window, Pope Leo thanked people worldwide for their prayers. The first US-born Pope said he would begin returning to his usual programme, although his duties would resume at a measured pace.
Pope Leo received a jubilant welcome from thousands in St Peter’s Square as he led a prayer service after lung cancer surgery
The 71-year-old Catholic leader thanked supporters across the globe and said he would return to work “gradually”
The pontiff appeared at the Apostolic Palace window as the crowd shouted, “Viva il papa!”
He said he had “truly felt your support” and offered special thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff at Gemelli hospital who cared for him
“Having overcome this delicate phase… I will now gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and your prayers,” Leo said after walking to the service without assistance.
He also encouraged pilgrims gathered beneath the cloudy sky to reject selfish goals and dedicate themselves to serving God “without compromise”.
Reflecting on the past week, the pontiff said his experience had brought him especially close to people living with illness and physical frailty.
Leo told those gathered that he had “truly felt your support” and expressed his “particular gratitude” to the medical teams and other staff at Gemelli hospital.
After pausing to wave to the crowd, the Pope returned inside his Apostolic Palace apartment.
Members of an African delegation in Rome for a congress celebrated the Pope’s blessing with dancing and ululation.
Before his Sunday appearance, Leo told a reporter he was feeling “much better” as he left Rome’s Gemelli hospital for the Vatican. His discharge came well before the week-long stay doctors had initially expected.
The Pope’s next major public commitment is scheduled to be a demanding tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. The itinerary includes 12 flights and two helicopter journeys to high-altitude locations.
His surgeon, Dr Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News on Saturday there are ‘no clinical reasons’ to preclude the trip.
‘The Holy Father has put his heart and soul into his recovery,’ he said, adding that he expected the Popeto recover fully from surgery ‘in another 10 days or so’.
‘As for a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place,’ Dr Margaritora added.
The Pope has offered a rare level of transparency after announcing last Sunday to the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square that doctors had identified a nodule on his lung, and that it would be removed.
Pope Leo revealed his diagnosis to millions around the world on live television almost as an aside at the end of his blessing.
The Vatican has previously been extremely secretive about the health of Popes – a practice encapsulated in the Italian saying, ‘The Pope is fine until he’s dead.’
Pope Leo XIV smiled and waved to well-wishers on Saturday as he was released from hospital, four days after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous mass from his lung
His personal physician and surgeon said in an earlier statement that Pope Leo was ‘deemed fit for discharge from the hospital’
Pope Leo XIV was pictured on Friday celebrating Mass at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, Rome
Since his surgery, Pope Leo has given strong indications he has been recovering well, including by holding a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin, meeting with top aides and celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel.
His personal doctor has also indicated a good post-operative recovery that has allowed the pontiff to carry on ‘normal daily activities completely on his own’.
On Saturday, the Vatican released the first images of Leo since his lung cancer surgery, showing him standing at an altar in a hospital chapel.
The Pope presided alone over the liturgy, distributing Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes, spokesman Matteo Bruni said.
