Vatican releases first photos of Pope Leo XIV after lung tumour surgery

NEW: Vatican releases first photos of Pope Leo XIV after surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung.

The Vatican has released the first photos of Pope Leo XIV since his cancer surgery.

The images came out Friday, the first look at the pontiff since doctors removed a cancerous tumour from his right lung. For days the only word from Rome was official bulletins, so the pictures themselves are the message. The Vatican wants the world to see him, not just read about him.

And that matters, because a pope's health is never just a medical story. Lung surgery is serious at any age, and every appearance, every photo, every Mass he does or doesn't lead will now be read like tea leaves by a billion Catholics and by everyone watching the Holy See.

For now, the Vatican is saying it with pictures. A pope recovering, visible, and very much still in the chair. What his recovery actually looks like in the weeks ahead is the story to watch.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.