A day after leaving the hospital following surgery to remove a tumor from his right lung, Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance since the operation to give his weekly prayer and blessing to thousands of the faithful in Rome. The pope, who left Gemelli Hospital on Saturday after being diagnosed with lung cancer, stepped into a window in the apostolic palace in St. Peter’s Square at exactly noon on Sunday and spoke in a firm, confident voice. “I would like to thank everyone who has been praying for me these past few days,” Leo said. “I have truly felt your support — thank you!”
Leo’s appearance, less than 18 months after he emerged for the first time as a newly elected pope, represented a show of strength after he spent only five days in the hospital. The Vatican originally suggested he was likely to stay there to recover for a full week. His private audiences remain suspended until Tuesday. “This experience has made me feel a special closeness to all those who are battling illness and infirmity,” the pope said on Sunday. He thanked the doctors and staff of Gemelli Hospital and said he would “gradually resume my activities.”
Exactly a week ago, the pope stunned followers when he used this same weekly Angelus prayer and blessing to announce that he would undergo surgery to remove a small growth on his lung in the coming days. Two days later, the Vatican said he had lung cancer. By resuming one of the most consistent events on his schedule so quickly, Leo, the first pontiff from the United States, appeared to want to demonstrate that his illness is, for now, a minor setback.
Neither the Vatican nor the pope’s doctors have released the results of additional tests that could determine whether he needs further treatment. The Vatican has indicated that, for now, Leo will proceed with a planned trip next month to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing