Pope greeted by crowds in first major appearance since lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo pledges a gradual return to duties in an address to the Catholic faithful in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Al Jazeera2026-10-19 04:42查看原文 ↗

Pope Leo pledges a gradual return to duties in an address to the Catholic faithful in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Pope Leo leads the Angelus prayer from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican, on October 18, 2026 [Yara Nardi/Reuters]

Pope Leo XIV has thanked some 15,000 Catholic faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square during his Sunday address, his first major public appearance since lung cancer surgery.

“Now that this delicate phase is behind me, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers,” Leo said.

list 1 of 3 Pope Leo to make public appearance Sunday, first since cancer surgery

list 2 of 3 Pope Leo leaves hospital after lung cancer surgery

list 3 of 3 Pope Leo returns to Vatican after lung cancer surgery

The 71-year-old pontiff addressed the crowd from a window overlooking the square at the Vatican, where a week ago on the same occasion of the traditional Angelus blessing, he revealed that a nodule had been found in his lung and would be surgically removed.

The operation confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.

Test results to determine whether the cancer has spread are still pending.

Leo said the experience of the past week “has made me feel especially close to those facing illness and infirmity”.

He told the crowd that he had “truly felt your support” and expressed “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at Gemelli Hospital” in Rome, where he was treated.

The pope paused for a moment and waved before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.

Catholic faithful watch Pope Leo XIV appearing at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace overlooking Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the traditional noon blessing on October 18, 2026 [Gregorio Borgia/AP]

A delegation from Africa, in Rome for a Catholic meeting, danced and ululated after the pope’s blessing.

“He was always in our prayers when he was sick, and we are happy to see him today,″ Alain Kalembu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said. “This is an expression of our joy.”

Meanwhile, Claire Holland from Jacksonville, Florida, United States, said she felt “very blessed” to be present for the pope’s return to his flock.

There had been doubts that a planned papal voyage to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November would go ahead.

The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told journalists on Friday that the pope may need to adjust the pace of his schedule “according to the condition of his health”.

But Leo’s surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News he believed there were “no clinical reasons why the trip should not go ahead”.

Latin Americans in the crowd in St Peter’s Square welcomed the news.

“We are all hoping for his recovery, and that he has gotten through the situation well. We know that he is OK, and we’re pleased,” Soledad Espinosa from Ecuador said.

教宗良十三世在梵蒂冈圣伯多禄广场向天主教信徒发表讲话，承诺将逐步恢复履行职责。

2026年10月18日，教宗良一世在梵蒂冈宗座宫的一扇窗户里带领信众诵念《三钟经》。[Yara Nardi/路透社]

教宗良十四世在周日发表讲话时，感谢了聚集在圣伯多禄广场的约 15,000 名天主教信徒。这是他自肺癌手术以来首次公开露面。

“现在这段艰难时期已经过去，我将逐步恢复我的活动，始终在上帝的帮助和你们的祈祷下，”利奥说道。

教宗利奥三世将于周日公开露面，这是他癌症手术后的首次公开露面（共3条记录，此为第1条）。

教宗利奥三世肺癌手术后出院（共3条，此为第2条）

教宗利奥三世肺癌手术后返回梵蒂冈（共3条，此为第3条）

71岁的教宗在梵蒂冈广场的一扇俯瞰广场的窗户上向人群发表讲话。一周前，在同一场合，也就是传统的《三钟经》祈祷仪式上，他透露自己的肺部发现了一个结节，将通过手术切除。

手术证实他患有腺癌，这是肺癌中最常见的类型。

癌症是否扩散的检测结果仍在等待中。

利奥表示，过去一周的经历“让我对那些面临疾病和残疾的人感同身受”。

他告诉人群，他“真切地感受到了你们的支持”，并“特别感谢罗马杰梅利医院的医生、护士和所有工作人员”，他在那里接受了治疗。