Pope greeted by crowds in first major appearance since lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo pledges a gradual instrumentality to duties successful an code to the Catholic faithful successful St Peter’s Square astatine the Vatican.

Pope Leo XIV has thanked immoderate 15,000 Catholic faithful gathered successful St Peter’s Square during his Sunday address, his archetypal large nationalist quality since lung crab surgery.

“Now that this delicate signifier is down me, I volition gradually resume my activities, ever with God’s assistance and your prayers,” Leo said.

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The 71-year-old pontiff addressed the assemblage from a model overlooking the quadrate astatine the Vatican, wherever a week agone connected the aforesaid juncture of the accepted Angelus blessing, helium revealed that a nodule had been recovered successful his lung and would beryllium surgically removed.

The operation confirmed helium had adenocarcinoma, the astir communal benignant of lung cancer.

Test results to find whether the crab has dispersed are inactive pending.

Leo said the acquisition of the past week “has made maine consciousness particularly adjacent to those facing unwellness and infirmity”.

He told the assemblage that helium had “truly felt your support” and expressed “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and each the unit astatine Gemelli Hospital” successful Rome, wherever helium was treated.

The pope paused for a infinitesimal and waved earlier retreating into his flat successful the Apostolic Palace.

Catholic faithful ticker Pope Leo XIV appearing astatine the model of his survey successful the Apostolic Palace overlooking Saint Peter’s Square astatine the Vatican for the accepted noon blessing connected October 18, 2026 [Gregorio Borgia/AP]

A delegation from Africa, successful Rome for a Catholic meeting, danced and ululated aft the pope’s blessing.

“He was ever successful our prayers erstwhile helium was sick, and we are blessed to spot him today,″ Alain Kalembu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said. “This is an look of our joy.”

Meanwhile, Claire Holland from Jacksonville, Florida, United States, said she felt “very blessed” to beryllium contiguous for the pope’s instrumentality to his flock.

There had been doubts that a planned papal voyage to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru successful November would spell ahead.

The Vatican’s caput of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told journalists connected Friday that the pope whitethorn request to set the gait of his docket “according to the information of his health”.

But Leo’s surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News helium believed determination were “no objective reasons wherefore the travel should not spell ahead”.

Latin Americans successful the assemblage successful St Peter’s Square welcomed the news.

“We are each hoping for his recovery, and that helium has gotten done the concern well. We cognize that helium is OK, and we’re pleased,” Soledad Espinosa from Ecuador said.