Pope Leo pledges return to duties following lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo pledged on Sunday to slowly resume his usual activities as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics as he greeted crowds in St. Peter’s Square during his first public event since undergoing surgery for lung cancer five days ago.

The 71-year-old pontiff had an ‌operation on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, fuelling speculation about how his illness might change his 17-month papacy.

Smiling from a window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace as he spoke to pilgrims below in a firm, clear voice on Sunday, the first US pope thanked people across the world for their prayers and said he would now begin to resume his normal schedule.

“Having overcome this delicate phase ... I will now gradually resume my activities, always with the ⁠help of God and your prayers,” Leo said.

The pope, who was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Saturday, came to the window ‌in the palace unaided and held his weekly midday appointment as usual.

He also urged pilgrims waiting below under cloudy skies to set aside any selfish ambitions and serve God “without compromise”.

Nuns cry as Leo appears

Leo ‌has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The diagnosis was alarming for the youngest ⁠pope in decades, who was ⁠elected only in May last year.

His doctors discharged him on Saturday after blood tests and chest imaging showed him well enough to return ‌home. They said he was able to perform normal daily activities independently.

Crowds in St. Peter’s Square, numbering about 15,000 according to the Vatican, shouted and clapped loudly as Leo first appeared ‌at the ‌window on Sunday. One Catholic nun knelt and cried, holding her hand over her face.

A few steps away, a group ‌of other nuns held aloft a sign reading, “Best wishes, Holy Father. We love you and we are praying for you.”

Pope's calendar in flux

Leo ⁠usually keeps a busy schedule, but the Vatican has cancelled his other public events until at least Wednesday, when he is due ⁠to hold a weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican has not said whether he will hold that audience.

The pope is also planning to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, in one of ‌the most intense trips arranged for ‌a Catholic leader in decades.

Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the pope’s lead surgeon, said on Saturday that Leo could be fully recovered in time for that trip.

However, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, has expressed scepticism. He told journalists on Friday the pope may need to adjust the pace of his schedule going forward “according to the condition of his health”.