First public appearance: Pope says the Angelus prayer after undergoing surgery

Just five days after cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV said the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square in his first public appearance.

With the words “Dear brothers and sisters, have a nice Sunday!” he addressed tens of thousands of cheering believers in the vast square from the window of his study on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace.

Many of them expressed their joy and relief at the 71-year-old's apparently quick recovery.

“I hope that he will recover completely and be our shepherd for many years to come,” said Michelle Sutko (70) from Chicago, the pope’s hometown, dpa.

The pontiff was released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday just four days after part of his lung containing a malignant tumor was removed.

In television images, he appeared to be in good health as he left the clinic and greeted bystanders with a smile and a relaxed manner.

It is still unknown whether the Pope is now cancer-free after the 90-minute procedure.

The node removed was a so-called lung adenocarcinoma.

According to experts, this is the most common form of lung cancer.