Pope Leo welcomed back as he delivers Angelus prayer days after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV made a remarkable return to the Vatican on Sunday, appearing before thousands of Catholic faithful in St.

Peter's Square just five days after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung.

The 71-year-old pontiff delivered his traditional Angelus prayer from a window overlooking the square, marking his first official engagement since being discharged Saturday from Rome's Gemelli hospital , where doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung.

Leo thanked the faithful for their prayers and support throughout his hospitalization, saying his recent health struggles had brought him closer to those suffering from illness.

He also expressed gratitude to the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who cared for him following the operation.

POPE LEO XIV DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, WILL RETURN TO VATICAN AFTER SURGERY TO REMOVE LUNG CANCER The first American-born pope said he planned to gradually resume his regular activities with God's help and the continued prayers of the faithful.

During his Angelus address, Leo reflected on one of Jesus' best-known teachings, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's," urging Christians to live with integrity and resist hypocrisy.

His return came sooner than expected after doctors initially anticipated a hospital stay of approximately one week following Tuesday's surgery .

As he departed the hospital on Saturday, the pope told a reporter in English that he was doing "much better." Claire Holland, visiting from Jacksonville, Fla., told The Associated Press she felt "very blessed" to witness the pope's return.

"I think there have been millions and millions of prayers.

And he is a strong determined man, and I am so happy that he is feeling well enough to do this," Holland said.

POPE LEO UNDERGOES BLOOD TESTS, X-RAY FOLLOWING CANCER SURGERY, VATICAN SAYS The surgery marked the first major health crisis of Leo's 17-month pontificate.

Doctors confirmed that the tumor was adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer .

Doctors are conducting further testing on the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes to determine the extent of the disease and whether additional treatment, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy, may be necessary.