Leo XIV’s first appearance since surgery: what he told the crowd

Pope Leo XIV appeared at the window of his Vatican residence on October 18, one day after leaving Gemelli Hospital, where he had undergone removal of a nodule from his right lung. After the Angelus, he thanked the faithful for their prayers and the doctors, nurses and hospital staff, saying the experience had brought him closer to people living with illness or disability. He said he would gradually resume his activities, while audiences remain suspended until October 20. A trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is still scheduled for November 6–17.