Pope Leo resumes public duties after hospital stay
The Pope thanked the faithful for their prayers and said he wanted to gradually resume his work.
Follow-up to: Pope Leo leaves hospital after lung surgery Saturday, 17 October 2026, 16:39
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Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance since his hospitalisation on Sunday. Speaking from the Vatican, he thanked the faithful for their support and said he wanted to resume his usual duties step by step.
The appearance came a day after the Pope left Gemelli Hospital in Rome. He had been treated and operated on there for a malignant tumour in his lung. The Pope spent four days in hospital, according to public reports from the Vatican and AP.
During his first public appearance, Leo XIV addressed the faithful from the Vatican. He thanked them for their prayers and, according to AP, said that he felt much better. The gathering took place at the usual time for the Angelus prayer on Sunday.
Medical information remains limited to statements from the Vatican and the doctors. These indicate that, after examinations, the Pope was considered fit enough to leave hospital. There is no public medical report containing all the details about his treatment and prognosis.
The Pope said he wanted to gradually resume his normal duties. This does not mean that all scheduled engagements will go ahead immediately. The Vatican had previously reported that his schedule had been temporarily reduced during his recovery.
The health of a pope affects the day-to-day leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, because the papal office is not automatically taken over when the Pope is temporarily less able to carry out his duties. Leo remains formally Pope; the extent of his work depends on his recovery.
Leo XIV was elected in May 2025 and is the first Pope born in the United States. His recovery is also being monitored in light of international visits already on the agenda. It is not yet clear whether his medical condition will change those plans.
The Sunday gathering mainly indicates that the Pope was able to fulfil a public engagement again. A gradual return to work does not yet clarify how long his recovery will take.
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The reporting is based on AP, Vatican News and a second independent source. The text makes no claims about the medical prognosis that are not supported by the sources.
- confirmed Pope Leo appeared in public again on Sunday. — AP described his first public appearance after his hospitalisation. source
- confirmed He left hospital after four days. — Vatican News and The Guardian mention this timeframe. source
- confirmed He wants to gradually resume his duties. — AP quotes his statement on this. source
Editor's note
The public appearance, departure from hospital and statements about a gradual return to work have been confirmed. The medical prognosis remains unknown.Sources
The story so far
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 12:55 Pope Leo cleared to leave hospital on Saturday
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 16:39 Pope Leo leaves hospital after lung surgery
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 13:00 Pope Leo resumes public duties after hospital stay (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „paus leo xiv”
- De Telegraaf — „paus leo xiv”
- AD — „paus leo xiv”