Pope Leo XIV told thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square that he will gradually resume his duties after surgery to remove a malignant tumour in his right lung.
The Story
Pope Leo XIV thanked thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for their prayers while he continues recovery following cancer surgery, saying he plans to gradually return to his usual duties.
Standing at a window overlooking the square after being hospitalized for an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the 71-year-old pope told the crowd, “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 the past week “has made me feel especially close to those facing illness and infirmity,” adding that he had “truly felt your support.” He also expressed “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at Gemelli hospital,” where he was treated.
The pope paused and waved before retreating back into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. The operation took place on Tuesday, described as the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate, and the pope said earlier he was “much better” when he left Rome’s Gemelli hospital to return to the Vatican after a shorter stay than expected.
During the previous week’s Angelus blessing from the same setting, he had revealed that a nodule had been located on his lung and that it would be surgically removed.
Among those in the square were visitors who travelled to pray after learning of the pope’s hospitalization, including Alain Kalembu of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who said, “He was always in our prayers when he was sick, and we are happy to see him today,” calling it “an expression of our joy.”
In preparation for his health update, Histological testing of the tumour and related lymph nodes was underway, with doctors to use those results, along with information about the tumour’s molecular and genetic makeup, to determine whether additional treatment is needed, such as chemotherapy, a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, or targeted oral therapy.
Pope Leo’s next major engagement is scheduled for Nov. 6 to 17, a trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru that includes a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes. His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said on Saturday that there were no clinical reasons the trip should not take place and expected the pope to recover fully “in another 10 days or so.”
← More stories