Pope Leo to Lead Sunday Prayer After Lung Surgery

Pope Leo XIV is recovering after surgery to remove part of his right lung, and the Vatican said he would lead the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday in his first public appearance since the operation. The Vatican said Friday that postoperative tests showed continued improvement and that Leo could carry out normal daily activities independently. The medical update followed blood tests and a chest X-ray, according to the press office. He is also continuing respiratory physiotherapy, doctors said. The Vatican released the first images of Leo since the surgery, showing him celebrating Mass at Gemelli hospital in Rome. In the photographs, he stands at an altar in a makeshift chapel, wearing green vestments. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Leo celebrated the liturgy alone, distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes, and delivered a homily thanking hospital staff for their care. Bruni said Leo would recite the Angelus on Sunday, October 18. It will be his first public appearance since doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung on October 13. The Vatican has not specified where the prayer will take place. The surgery confirmed that Leo had...