Pope pictured for first time since surgery and cancer diagnosis

Pope Leo XIV, aged 71, left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday and returned to the Vatican, according to reports from the Daily Mirror and Hiru News. The Daily Mirror said he walked to his car without assistance and paused to greet people gathered outside the hospital.

The pope had surgery at Gemelli on Tuesday to remove a growth from his right lung, according to Lankadeepa. The Island reported that the Vatican released images of him celebrating Mass in hospital, marking his first such public appearance since the operation. Ada Derana’s Sinhala-language headline also said he held a Mass there.

While he remained in hospital, the Vatican said he continued routine work using online and video technology, according to Lankadeepa. Ada Derana reported that he pledged to resume his duties gradually at his first event since surgery.

The Island reported that the pope was diagnosed with lung cancer after the operation. The other reports supplied do not mention a diagnosis.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.