Christian World | Pope Leo XIV held his first weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square, eight days after lung cancer surgery, and thanked the faithful for their prayers

ACW | October 21, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church, held his first weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, eight days after lung surgery, Reuters and America magazine reported.

According to Reuters, the pope rode through the crowd standing in the open-air popemobile, waving and blessing babies. America magazine reported that thousands of pilgrims had queued since early morning in the rain.

"The first thing I want to say to you is thank you for the support and prayers," the pope said in his opening remarks, as quoted by Reuters. "Let's renew our trust in the goodness and mercy of God."

America magazine said his catechesis, delivered in Italian, focused on marriage and the family in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council. The formal programme was shorter than usual, with greetings read in fewer languages.

Reuters reported that the lower lobe of the pope's right lung was removed on October 13 and that doctors described the operation as successful and without complications. The Vatican has released no schedule beyond Wednesday, and it is unclear whether his November 6–17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will go ahead as planned.

Background: Leo XIV was elected in May 2025 and leads about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, according to Reuters. On Sunday, October 18, he appeared at the Angelus prayer after his surgery.

Why it matters: This was the pope's first General Audience since October 7, Reuters reported. His voice carries weight for Christian communities worldwide, including persecuted Christian minorities who look to church leaders to defend freedom of religion or belief.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: America magazine — Pope Leo's first General Audience after lung surgery; Reuters — Pope Leo takes to popemobile for first time since cancer surgery; Aleteia — Pope Leo: Thanks be to God for his generosity

Photo: Aleteia (Antoine Mekary)