Pope Leo XIV greeted thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, thanking them for their prayers while he was hospitalized for an operation to remove a malignant tumor. He said he plans to return to his usual duties gradually.
The crowd cheered when the pontiff appeared in a window overlooking the square for the traditional Angelus blessing. A week earlier, from the same window, he had said a nodule was found on his lung and would be removed. Speaking four days after the surgery, he said his voice sounded strong. The lower lobe of his right lung was removed on Tuesday.
The surgery confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Doctors are still testing the tumor and nearby lymph nodes to decide whether he needs more treatment, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or a targeted oral drug.
Leo, 71, left Rome’s Gemelli hospital for the Vatican after a shorter stay than first expected. He told a reporter he was “much better.” His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said there were no clinical reasons the pope could not make his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. He expects a full recovery in about 10 more days.
Among the visitors was Claire Holland of Jacksonville, Florida, who said she was happy to see the pope recover so quickly.
