Pope Leo Returns: Angelus From the Apostolic Palace, Five Days After Lung Surgery

Pope Leo Returns: Angelus From the Apostolic Palace, Five Days After Lung Surgery

A window, a square, and five days

At noon on 18 October, Pope Leo XIV appeared at a window of the Apostolic Palace above St. Peter's Square and led the Angelus — his first major public appearance since surgery for lung cancer. He had left Rome's Gemelli hospital the previous afternoon, Saturday 17 October, four days after the operation and sooner than the week-long stay the Vatican had originally signalled.

He walked to the window unaided

Reuters described the 71-year-old coming to the window without help, smiling and speaking to pilgrims below "in a firm, clear voice" under grey skies. The Guardian noted he was greeted with applause. One nun knelt and wept, her hand over her face.

Thanks to those who prayed, and to the Gemelli

"I would like to thank all the people who have been praying for me in these days," he said. "I have truly felt your support. Thank you!" He gave "special gratitude" to the doctors, nurses and staff of the Gemelli Polyclinic and said the experience had let him feel "in a particular way, a closeness to all those who are living through illness or a state of infirmity."

Gradual return, with one notable silence

"Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God's help and your prayers." America magazine observed that the pope never mentioned his South America trip, due to begin in nineteen days.

'Render to Caesar'

Reflecting on the day's Gospel, he urged Christians to be truthful and free of hypocrisy, "free to do good." He also marked the 100th World Mission Sunday, established by Pius XI in 1926.

Ninety minutes, one lobe

On 11 October, at the previous Angelus, he had disclosed that a small, localised nodule had been found in his lung "at a very early stage." Surgeons at the Gemelli operated on Tuesday 13 October, removing the lower lobe of his right lung in a procedure reported to have taken about 90 minutes and to have passed without complications.

Adenocarcinoma confirmed

Tests on the removed tissue confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. NBC News, citing the American Lung Association, noted that non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 80% of all cases. The Vatican has published neither the tumour's size, nor the cancer's stage, nor whether lymph nodes were involved; further pathology and molecular results will determine whether chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted drugs are required.

Audiences cancelled until Tuesday

The Prefecture of the Papal Household had cancelled the pope's audiences and public events through Tuesday 20 October. Reuters reported that the Vatican had not confirmed whether Wednesday's general audience would go ahead. Leo's personal physician Luigi Carbone and thoracic surgeon Stefano Margaritora said blood tests and a chest X-ray supported his discharge.

About 15,000 in the square

The Vatican put the crowd at roughly 15,000. Leo leads about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

Latin America remains the open question

The coming weeks will test a 17-month pontificate that had known no major health crisis. On 19 October Leo is due to celebrate the canonisation of seven blesseds in St. Peter's Basilica; on 27 October he plans to travel to Assisi, 40 years after John Paul II's 1986 interreligious prayer gathering, an event organisers say will draw 384 representatives from 53 countries. The larger question is the 6-17 November journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru — ten cities, some 31,000 km and 36 speeches. Margaritora told Vatican News there were "no clinical reasons" it should not go ahead, and expected full recovery "in another 10 days or so."