Pope Leo XIV returned to St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, waving to pilgrims and blessing babies from his open-air popemobile as he held his first general audience at the Vatican since undergoing lung cancer surgery eight days ago, according to Reuters.
The 71-year-old pontiff, who pledged on Sunday he would slowly resume his duties as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, stood in the back of the vehicle as it drove through the square, waving, smiling and stopping to talk to pilgrims. Crowds began gathering hours ahead of the 9:45 a.m. start, holding umbrellas under drizzling grey skies.
Leo had the lower lobe of his right lung removed in surgery on October 13 and has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The diagnosis, for the youngest pope in decades who was elected only in May 2025, caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy.
“Thank you for the support and prayers”
“The first thing I want to say to you is thank you for the support and prayers,” Leo told the crowds in his opening remarks for the 50-minute event, without specifically mentioning his health. “Thanks be to God for his generosity,” he said, speaking in a clear voice as cheers broke out in the square. “Let’s renew our trust in the goodness and mercy of God.”
Wednesday’s audience, the first held by the pope since October 7, followed a normal format. In the only major change from previous occasions, he gave brief greetings in seven instead of nine other languages after offering a sermon in Italian.
Recovery and an uncertain calendar
Leo’s doctors have said his surgery was completed successfully, without complications. They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis. The Vatican has provided no indication of the pope’s schedule beyond Wednesday.
His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News there were “no clinical reasons” to prevent Leo’s planned trip to Latin America next month, and said he expected the pope to recover fully from surgery “in another 10 days or so.”
