At the conclusion of the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV thanked all those who have been praying for him in recent days, saying, “I have truly felt your support. Thank you!”

He went on to express “special gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and all the staff at the Gemelli Policlinic”, where he underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a cancerous nodule from his lung.

“This experience has allowed me to feel, in a particular way, a closeness to all those who are living through illness or a state of infirmity”, the Pope said on Sunday.

The Holy Father was released from hospital on Saturday afternoon, after blood tests and a chest x-ray in the morning confirmed he was fit to be discharged. Before leaving the hospital, Pope Leo was able to thank personally the doctor who performed the surgery, as well as the medical and nursing team, the healthcare staff, the rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, and the leadership of the hospital.

Pope set to ‘gradually’ resume activities

Concluding his remarks at the Angelus, Pope Leo said, “Now that this delicate phase has passed—as you know—I will gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and your prayers”.

Ahead of the Pope’s surgery, the Prefecture of the Papal Household, which coordinates the Pope’s public activities, had announced the cancellation of all the Pope’s audiences through Tuesday, 20 October.