Pope Leo Returns to Public View Five Days After Lung Cancer Surgery
Pope Leo, the first pope from the United States, made his first public appearance five days after undergoing surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The 71-year-old pontiff greeted crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square from a window of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, thanking people worldwide for their prayers. He leads approximately 1.4 billion Catholics and has been in papacy for 17 months. During the event, he expressed his commitment to gradually resume his activities in the coming days.
Key facts
- Pope Leo is the first US pope
- He had surgery on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung
- The operation took place five days before his Sunday appearance
- He greeted crowds in St. Peter's Square from a window of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace
- It was his first public event since the surgery
- The pontiff is 71 years old
- He leads the world's 1.4 billion Catholics
- His papacy has lasted 17 months
- He thanked people worldwide for their prayers
- He pledged to gradually resume his activities
Entities
Artists
- Pope Leo
Institutions
- Vatican
- Apostolic Palace
- Catholic Church
Locations
- St. Peter's Square
- Vatican City
- United States