Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance this Sunday, October 18, after surgery for lung cancer and announced that he would gradually resume his duties. From the window of the Apostolic Palace, he led the Angelus a day after being discharged from the hospital, in a public return that is still part of his recovery.
More than 15 thousand people gathered in St. Peter’s Square and nearby areas to greet the pontiff. Amid applause, Leo XIV thanked those who had prayed for him in recent days and said he had felt their support. At the end, he remained at the window for a few moments to return the greetings of those in attendance.
The Pope also recognized the work of the doctors, nurses, and other staff at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome. Speaking about his hospitalization, he explained that the experience had brought him especially close to people who are ill or live with a disability.
The procedure took place on Tuesday and involved removing an adenocarcinoma from the right lung, including the lower lobe. After being hospitalized, he was discharged on Saturday. His message on Sunday pointed to a gradual return to his commitments, not an immediate return to his full schedule.
The outlook for his upcoming commitments
Surgeon Stefano Margaritora, who operated on him, described his overall condition as good and explained that the lung was re-expanding within the usual time frame. In an interview released by the Vatican on Saturday, he estimated that the pontiff would need about ten more days to complete his physical recovery.
Regarding the trip to South America planned for November 6–17, Margaritora said there were no clinical reasons that would prevent it from going ahead. That assessment is the doctor’s prognosis of the expected recovery; Leo XIV’s own announcement this Sunday was limited to saying that he would gradually resume his duties.
Image: Leo XIV during an audience with the media on May 12, 2025. File photo: Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
