Trending 
Pope Leo XIV has made his first major public appearance since undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung, thanking supporters for their prayers and promising to resume his duties gradually.
The 71-year-old Pope addressed thousands of people in St Peter’s Square on Sunday during his traditional Angelus prayer. He appeared well and spoke normally after leaving Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday.
“I would like to thank all the people who have been praying for me in these days,” Leo told the crowd.
Read More : Macron to Address France After Violent Protests
“Having overcome this delicate phase, as you know I will now gradually resume my activities,” he added.
The crowd welcomed his return with chants of “Viva il papa!”, meaning “Hooray for the pope!”
Leo underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove part of his right lung. His surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News that the pope was in “absolutely satisfactory clinical condition” and could need about 10 more days to recover fully.
Margaritora said doctors discovered the tumour by chance during a routine abdominal X-ray. The scan showed a “little spot” at the base of the pope’s right lung. He described the operation as routine and praised Leo’s commitment to recovery. However, test results to determine whether the cancer has spread are still pending.
Read More : France Protest Arrests Exceed 2,000
The pope’s return has brought relief to Catholics worldwide, although some have urged him to take enough time to recover.
Leo is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. He spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, but his health had raised questions about whether the trip would go ahead. However, Margaritora told Vatican News that he saw “no clinical reasons why the trip should not go ahead”.
Despite his recovery, Leo has continued some official duties. On Friday, he called Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to agree to a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
