Pope Leo says he will gradually resume duties at first public appearance since lung surgery

Pope Leo XIV told worshippers in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sunday, 18 October, that he would gradually resume his duties, delivering his first public blessing since surgery to remove part of his right lung five days earlier. The appearance marked his return to a regular public appointment after he left hospital on Saturday.

Speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking the square, Leo thanked people who had prayed for him. ‘Now that this delicate phase is behind me, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers,’ he said, according to the Associated Press. Reuters described the 71-year-old pope as smiling and speaking in a firm, clear voice; he reached the window without assistance.

Recovery after lung cancer surgery

Surgeons removed the lower lobe of Leo’s right lung on 13 October. The operation confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, according to the AP account carried by The Journal. The surgery and subsequent hospital stay interrupted the public schedule of the first pope from the United States, who was elected in May 2025.

His surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, described Leo’s clinical condition as ‘absolutely satisfactory’ and estimated that full recovery would take another ten days, Reuters reported. Tests to determine whether the cancer has spread were still pending. Leo’s pledge to return gradually did not set a date for resuming his full schedule.

Other public events had been cancelled through at least 21 October, and it was unclear whether Leo would hold the scheduled general audience, according to Reuters. A trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru remained planned for 6–17 November. Margaritora said he saw no clinical reason the trip could not proceed, while Cardinal Pietro Parolin had expressed doubts about how quickly the pope could resume his schedule.