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

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. 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.