Pope Leo XIV will deliver the Angelus prayer on Sunday, his first public appearance since lung cancer surgery. Doctors report steady improvement and independent daily activity.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to make his first public appearance since undergoing lung cancer surgery, the Vatican announced on Friday. The 71-year-old pontiff will deliver the traditional noontime Angelus prayer on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in his recovery from an operation performed earlier this week.
Leo underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove part of his right lung after doctors identified a suspected cancerous nodule. The procedure confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. According to a medical update signed by his personal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital, new blood tests and a chest X-ray confirmed "the steady improvement in his overall condition."
The doctors stated that the pope's "post-operative recovery allows him to carry out normal daily activities entirely independently." He is continuing respiratory physiotherapy at the hospital in Rome. The Vatican has not yet disclosed the size of the tumor or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, factors critical for determining prognosis.
On Friday, the Vatican released the first images of Leo since the surgery. The photos show the pope standing at an altar in green vestments, celebrating Mass in a makeshift chapel set up on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital. He distributed Communion to members of the hospital's medical and nursing staff and the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps.
In his homily, Leo thanked the staff "for the work they do every day caring for patients in their frailty and especially for what they have done and continue to do for him," according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office.
Preparations for Leo's planned trip to South America, scheduled for November 6 to 17, are continuing. The Vatican published a list of journalists accredited to cover the visit to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, signaling that organizational work is "going forward," according to a Vatican spokesman.
The diagnosis has raised questions about the future of Leo's papacy, which began in May 2025. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, noted that the pope might need to adjust his pontificate based on his recovery. "We can’t make any type of predictions," Parolin said, according to LaPresse and ANSA news agencies. "The question now is when he will return, under what circumstances he will return, and what the doctors say."
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, a close ally of Leo, expressed shock at the diagnosis. "When I heard they took out part of the lobe of the lung and that it was malignant, that was more shocking and more concerning," Cupich told Catholic magazine America. He added that he believed Leo had "downplayed" the health issue when he initially announced the need for surgery.
Pope Leo XIV's public appearance serves as a visible confirmation of his health to the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic faithful. The successful recovery and continued planning for international travel suggest the Vatican is maintaining normal operations despite the serious diagnosis. The outcome of further medical tests will determine if additional treatment is necessary and how the pope's schedule may be adjusted in the coming months.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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