Leo XIV reappears and announces that he will gradually resume his activity

The voice sounds firm and energetic: “Brothers and sisters, good morning!” Leo XIV reappears for the Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the same one from which he announced his illness exactly a week ago. The Pontiff, 71, returned to the Vatican after being discharged from hospital on Saturday, just four days after a delicate operation in which surgeons removed part of his right lung to eliminate a malignant tumor. His reappearance, before at least 15,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square, according to Vatican media, confirms the speed of a recovery that has even surprised him by allowing his release from the hospital to be brought forward several days.

Leo XIV wanted to take advantage of his first public appearance since the intervention to thank the attention received. "I want to express my special gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at the Gemelli hospital. This experience has made me feel in a special way the closeness to those who are going through an illness or a fragile situation. Once this delicate phase has been overcome, as you know, I will now gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and his prayers. Thank you all again and happy Sunday!" he declared.

The Pope underwent surgery on Tuesday for lung adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that doctors had detected in an apparently early stage. The intervention, performed using a video-assisted technique, lasted about 90 minutes and was uneventful. The doctors have highlighted his rapid recovery and his excellent disposition during admission, although the final results of the lymph node analysis are still awaited, which will allow them to determine if he needs other treatments.

The Pope's rapid recovery has also revived hopes that he will be able to make the trip to Argentina, scheduled for November, as part of a tour that includes Uruguay and Peru. Leo XIV plans to arrive in Buenos Aires on November 8, visit Córdoba and celebrate a mass in the Luján sanctuary. Surgeon Stefano Margaritora, who directed the operation, has assured that there are no clinical impediments to the trip, although the Holy See has not yet definitively confirmed that the program will be maintained. The main unknown remains the requirement of such a long tour, especially the stage in Cusco, in Peru, located at about 3,400 meters of altitude.