After his surgery for lung cancer, Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance today, greeting crowds in St. Peter’s Square. He spoke from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace in a firm, clear voice: “Having overcome this delicate phase... I will now gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and your prayers.” The Pope, who was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital yesterday, came to the window in the palace unaided, and held his weekly midday appointment as usual.

His doctors discharged him after yesterday’s blood tests and chest imaging showed him well enough to return home, able to perform normally. Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the Pope’s lead surgeon, also declared that Leo could be fully recovered in time for his planned trip, Nov. 6-17, to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. This was already characterized as one of the most intense trips arranged for a Catholic leader in decades. The day before, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, had expressed caution, telling journalists that the Pope may need to adjust the pace of his schedule going forward “according to the condition of his health.”