Pope Leo returns for the Angelus: thanks to those who care

Some news lets you breathe a little easier. Pope Leo XIV left Gemelli Hospital on Saturday 17 October and returned to the Vatican. People gathered outside to greet him and show their support.

Thanks to those who care

Before leaving, the Pope greeted surgeon Stefano Margaritora and the hospital’s leaders. Behind a return home stand doctors, nurses and many people who care for others every day, often without the spotlight.

What the doctors have said

Leo XIV underwent surgery on 13 October for pulmonary adenocarcinoma, with removal of the lower lobe of his right lung. The 17 October statement signed by Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Margaritora said tests and the clinical assessment allowed his discharge.

His return begins a period of recovery. Discharge does not mean every treatment or check-up is finished. We will follow official updates without predicting what comes next.

Back at the window, with thanks

At noon on Sunday 18 October, Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace window. Afterwards, he thanked the faithful for their prayers and Gemelli staff for their care. His hospital experience, he said, brought him particularly close to people living with illness. He announced a gradual return to his activities.

Choosing what is good

Before the prayer, reflecting on Matthew’s Gospel, he encouraged sincerity and freedom from hypocrisy and selfish motives. That thought belongs in everyday life too: choosing what is right, even when nobody is there to applaud.

Recovery continues: the message to Assisi

27 October update: the follow-up chest X-ray had confirmed what his doctors described as an excellent post-operative recovery. As a precaution, Pope Leo XIV did not make the helicopter journey to Assisi and sent participants a video message. He called for rebuilding peace and rejecting every religious justification for war: “Only peace is holy.”

Angelus on 25 October: love at the centre

On Sunday 25 October, Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square. Reflecting on the commandment to love God and one’s neighbour, he said faith becomes a gift when selfishness is overcome. After the prayer, he appealed for Yemen and remembered the victims of the attack on an Orthodox church in Jordan; he also invited people to join spiritually in the Assisi meeting on 27 October.

All Saints’ Angelus: a calling for everyone

On 1 November, Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square. He said holiness is not a privilege for a few: it embraces people from every background and takes shape through choices of love, gentleness, forgiveness and peacebuilding, including in everyday life.

2 November: Mass at Verano Cemetery

On 2 November, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Verano Cemetery for the commemoration of the faithful departed. In his homily, he linked remembrance with Christian hope, reflected on the Beatitudes and prayed for people mourning a recent loss and for victims of war.

4 November: work, dignity and the common good

At the 4 November General Audience, Pope Leo XIV returned to Gaudium et spes. He said work should help people grow and must never become exploitation or endanger health and life. The economy and politics build peace, he explained, when they protect dignity, justice and the common good. He also asked for prayers for his journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, beginning on 6 November.

At 9 am on 5 November, in Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Pope will preside over Mass for cardinals and bishops who died during the year. The appointment remains described as forthcoming until a later official communication confirms that it took place.

A prayer can begin like this

You do not need perfect words: “Lord, stay close to Pope Leo and everyone who is ill. Support those who care for them and the families waiting at home.” Even on a busy Sunday, you can pause for a minute. Small gestures make room for closeness.