First images released of Pope Leo celebrating Mass at hospital after cancer surgery - BERITAJA
ByNicole Winfield and Paolo Santalucia
ROME — The Vatican connected Friday released the first images of Pope Leo XIV since his lung crab surgery, showing him celebrating Mass, arsenic doctors said that tests confirmed the “continued improvement” successful his recovery.
The photos show Leo opinionated up astatine the altar successful greenish vestments celebrating Mass successful a makeshift chapel that has been group up for him successful Gemelli hospital. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said Leo presided unsocial complete the liturgy, distributing Communion to aesculapian unit and Vatican gendarmes present.
He besides delivered a homily successful which he thanked the infirmary unit “for the activity they do each time taking attraction of the sick successful their fragility, and successful a peculiar measurement what they had done for him,” Bruni said.
Bruni confirmed Leo would present the accepted noontime Angelus dream connected Sunday, but it wasn’t clear whether he would do it from the infirmary aliases backmost astatine the Vatican.
The Vatican had primitively estimated a weeklong infirmary stay, and had cancelled his audiences done Tuesday. Bruni said the pope’s doctors would determine if location were immoderate changes expected to his discharge date.
“His post-operative betterment allows him to transportation retired his normal regular activities wholly connected his own,” said a aesculapian update signed by Leo’s individual expert Dr. Luigi Carbone and the caput of thoracic room astatine Gemelli, Dr. Stefano Margaritora.
The 71-year-old Leo had the little lobe of his correct lung removed Oct. 13 aft doctors identified a suspected cancerous nodule. The room confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the about communal type of lung cancer.
A awesome of each systems spell for trip
Even arsenic questions swirled about the early of Leo’s young pontificate, location were signs Friday that it was each systems go. The Vatican published the names of journalists accredited to alert connected Leo’s level pinch him during his Nov. 6-17 travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
Leo’s expertise to make the travel has been successful mobility since his diagnosis, and the Vatican could alteration the plans astatine immoderate time. But the posting of the media database signaled that astatine slightest connected an organizational level, the travel was going ahead.
In the nearer term, Vatican officials were gaming retired imaginable scenarios for the Angelus connected Sunday.
Vatican media unit were seen astatine Gemelli laying cables for a imaginable unrecorded broadcast. Such appearances person often served arsenic a invited confirmation of a hospitalized pope’s well-being.
But pinch Leo’s homily Friday thanking infirmary unit who had cared for him, location mightiness beryllium small logic for him to enactment if he was medically fresh for discharge.
Secretary of authorities suggests ‘adjustments’
The Vatican caput of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Friday he understood Leo’s betterment was going well, “so we’re happy.”
Parolin, who was considered a starring contender successful the conclave that elected Leo and was precocious passed complete arsenic dean of the College of Cardinals, amazed immoderate by suggesting Thursday that Leo’s pontificate itself mightiness request to beryllium “adjusted” arsenic a consequence of the cancer.
Asked Friday what he meant, Parolin said “adjust connected the ground of his wellness conditions,” astatine slightest “with respect to this adjacent trip,” he said.
Doctors are still awaiting the results of tests to understand the precise molecular and familial constitution of the cancer, whether it has dispersed beyond the lobe and whether immoderate further curen is necessary.
Cancer patients nonstop well-wishing notes to Leo
Meanwhile, the Vatican connected Friday released photos of immoderate get-well notes that had been sent to Leo from patients astatine Gemelli’s pediatric oncology ward, located connected the 10th floor, wherever popes past person often visited during their ain hospitalizations.
One, from 7-year-old Angelo, told Leo that he had been connected the 10th level for 36 days. “My mother and I believe for you each night. Get good soon,” he wrote, pinch small hearts astatine the bottom.
Giorgia, a university-aged student, wrote to Leo successful his autochthonal English, saying she had agelong loved learning and practicing the language.
“When I heard connected the news about you and your situation, I felt it a 1000 times harder, because successful immoderate ways we’re going done the aforesaid thing, and it made maine consciousness person to you,” she wrote. “I believe to God that we some heal and I inquire you to believe for me, too.”
Winfield and Santalucia constitute for the Associated Press. AP ocular journalist Trisha Thomas contributed to this report.
