Pope Leo returns to the Angelus window in first appearance since cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV has made his first public appearance since undergoing surgery for lung cancer, greeting crowds in St Peter’s Square from a window of the Apostolic Palace for his weekly Sunday Angelus, Reuters reported.

The 71-year-old pontiff came to the window unaided on Sunday, smiling as he addressed the pilgrims below, in what was his first public event five days after Tuesday’s operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, Reuters said.

Tests during the surgery confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, which the Vatican said had been suspected by preoperative tests.

The appearance came a day after the pope was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Saturday, four days after the operation. His doctors said he was well enough to return home after blood tests and chest imaging, and that he was able to carry out normal daily activities independently.

The Holy See Press Office had confirmed on Friday that Sunday’s Angelus would take place, his first public engagement since the surgery, USA Today reported. The illness has prompted speculation about how it might shape his 17-month papacy.