Leo pledged on Sunday, in his first public event since the surgery, that he would slowly resume his usual activities as the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Pope Leo will hold a general ​audience with pilgrims at the ‌Vatican on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing surgery ​for lung cancer, the ​Vatican said.

Professor Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who operated on Leo XIV's lung on Tuesday 13 October, spoke about the upcoming apostolic journey.