Pope Leo to make first appearance since cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV is set to make his first public appearance after undergoing surgery that led to a lung cancer diagnosis, the Vatican said on Friday, Oct. 16.

The 71-year-old pontiff will deliver the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, Oct. 18, as doctors report “steady improvement” in his recovery from the Oct. 13 operation. The Holy See Press Office confirmed that Sunday’s Angelus “will take place.”

Leo’s doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said that new blood tests and a chest X-ray confirmed “the steady improvement in his overall condition.” They said the pontiff is able to carry out normal daily activities “entirely independently” and is continuing respiratory physiotherapy.

Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after undergoing surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Pope Leo XIV recovers after surgery. See his rise to the papacy

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Pope Leo XIV is recovering after surgery on Oct. 13, which resulted in a diagnosis of lung cancer.The pope underwent surgery to remove a small lung nodule on Tuesday that doctors had discovered in a recent health checkup. It marks the first significant medical procedure of the 71-year-old’s papacy.

See his time as the first American pontiff.

Pope Leo XIV waves from the window of the car as he leaves the Vatican before being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital for an operation to remove a lump from his lung, in the Vatican on Oct. 13, 2026.

(TIZIANA FABI, AFP via Getty Images)

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Pope Leo celebrates Mass in hospital

Leo also celebrated Mass on Oct. 16 in a room set up on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital, where he distributed Communion to attendees. Members of the hospital’s medical and nursing staff and the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps attended.

“In his homily, the pope thanked all the staff – doctors, nurses, and orderlies – for the work they do every day caring for patients in their frailty, and especially for what they have done and continue to do for him,” the Vatican said.

The Vatican also released an image of Leo celebrating the Mass, marking one of the clearest public glimpses of his recovery since the operation.