Pope Leo XIV addressed the crowd in St Peter's Square on Sunday, marking his first public appearance since his lung operation. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, he addressed pilgrims with a strong and clear voice, having walked to the window unaided.
The Pope underwent a surgical procedure on Tuesday in which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed. The operation sparked speculation about how the illness might affect his pontificate. On Sunday, he held his regular weekly midday Angelus and thanked people from around the world for their prayers.
He announced that he would gradually return to all his duties as head of the Church. "After having overcome this sensitive phase... I will now gradually resume my activities, always with God's help and with your prayers," he said. He urged pilgrims to discard selfish ambitions and serve God "uncompromisingly".
The Pope conveyed that the experience had brought him closer to those who suffer. From the same spot a week earlier, he had announced that he needed to undergo surgery. Thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square to greet him. The Pope thanked the doctors for their care and everyone who had prayed for him.
His appearance took place while thousands of runners in the Rome Marathon passed along the main thoroughfare towards St Peter's Square. Precisely at midday, all eyes were turned towards the window of the Apostolic Palace. The Pope was discharged from Gemelli Hospital following the lung operation in which a growth was removed.
Doctors state that the Pope is recovering well and believe he can travel to Latin America. Professor Stefano Margaritora told Vatican News: "I would say there are no clinical reasons why that trip should not take place". The Pope's visit to Latin America includes Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Leo served for years as a missionary and bishop in Peru, and the travel plan includes a stay in Cusco, a city at an altitude of around 3,350 metres.
