VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV greeted thousands of cheering worshippers gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, offering his traditional Angelus blessing less than a week after undergoing surgery to remove a malignant lung tumor.
The 71-year-old pontiff, the first pope born in the United States, stood at the study window of the Apostolic Palace for his initial official engagement since leaving Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday. Leo had been admitted Tuesday for a procedure to excise the lower lobe of his right lung, an intervention that confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. His four-day hospital stay ended earlier than the weeklong recovery physicians had initially anticipated.
Addressing the crowd below, Leo expressed deep appreciation for the global outpouring of support during his hospitalization. “Now that this delicate phase is behind me, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers,” the pontiff said, speaking in a firm voice, according to NPR. He added that enduring the health crisis had brought him emotionally closer to those experiencing illness and frailty, while extending special thanks to the physicians, nurses and staff at Gemelli Hospital.
The appearance sparked celebration across the plaza, CBS News reported, with a visiting delegation from Africa dancing and ululating in response to the pope’s blessing. American pilgrims in the crowd also expressed profound relief. Claire Holland of Jacksonville, Florida, told The Associated Press that she considered herself “very blessed” to witness his rapid return, praising the pontiff’s strength and resolve.
Surgeon clears upcoming travel
The operation marked the first severe health crisis of Leo’s 17-month pontificate. As he departed the medical center over the weekend, the pope briefly spoke in English to a reporter, confirming he felt “much better.”
Despite the invasive surgery, the Vatican has not curtailed an ambitious autumn travel itinerary. Leo remains scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6 to Nov. 17, a taxing 12-day journey that encompasses a dozen airline flights alongside two high-altitude helicopter trips.
His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, indicated that the pontiff remains fit to embark on the tour. Margaritora told Vatican News on Saturday that the pope had dedicated himself entirely to recuperation and should complete his surgical healing within roughly 10 days, adding there were “no clinical reasons why it should not take place.”
Pathology tests will guide future care
Although the pontiff’s immediate physical recovery is proceeding rapidly, his broader medical prognosis remains unsettled. Pathologists are conducting histological examinations of the excised tumor and surrounding lymph nodes to evaluate the full extent of the malignancy and map its molecular characteristics, according to news reports.
Those laboratory analyses will determine whether post-operative therapies will be recommended. Potential options could include chemotherapy, combined immunotherapy or targeted oral drugs tailored to the tumor’s genetic profile. Vatican authorities have not yet released an official long-term prognosis while laboratory evaluations continue.
