Pope Leo XIV celebrated mass on Friday at the hospital where he is recovering from a lung cancer operation, as seen in the first images of him released by the Vatican since the procedure.
The images showed the 71-year-old Chicago-born pope in front of a makeshift altar in a room on the 10th floor of the Rome hospital, dressed in a green vestment.
He appeared relaxed and in good form in the two photos released, standing with his private secretary, Peruvian priest Edgard Rimaycuna, at his side.
"He celebrated with the medical and nursing staff of Gemelli, some people who were present there, who were clearly off duty at that moment," the Vatican press office said, adding that members of the police also joined.
"He thanked all the staff, doctors, nurses, orderlies, for their service and their closeness to people, for their care of people's fragility, and in particular, evidently, for the care, attention, and treatment given to him in these days," the press office said.
Pope Leo XIV recovering after lung cancer operation
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The pope is expected to lead the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, but a Vatican source would not say whether it would be from the hospital, or from the Vatican.
The Angelus prayer is traditionally recited by the pope every Sunday from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St Peter's Square, to crowds of faithful gathered below.
'Good recovery'
Leo was admitted Tuesday to Rome's Gemelli hospital, north of the Vatican, where he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in his right lung.
Doctors have said that his recovery is progressing normally, but ongoing tests will determine the future course of his treatment.
Read moreWhat we know about Pope Leo XIV's lung cancer diagnosis
On Thursday, his doctors said that a chest X-ray indicated "good recovery of the operated lung".
On Friday, they said tests had shown "a steady improvement in his general condition".
They said he was now carrying out "his normal daily activities completely independently".
Test results to determine whether the cancer has spread are still pending.
"Morale is good, that's obvious. And the recovery as well because the pope has been able to celebrate mass," the Vatican source said.
Read more'Amazing progress' in lung cancer: Immunotherapy extends survival as mRNA vaccines offer hope
The press office has not given an update to the possible timing of the pope's discharge from hospital, repeating a doctor's original statement that his recovery would take about a week.
Were Leo to recite the Angelus from the window of the Gemelli hospital, it would not be a first for a pope.
In February 6, 2005, 84-year-old John Paul II appeared at the hospital window while recovering from flu-related respiratory issues, as an aide beside him read out the Angelus prayer.
Pope Francis on July 11, 2021, then 84, also gave the prayer from the hospital window after surgery on his colon, telling the assembled crowd: "I am glad to be able to keep the Sunday Angelus appointment, even here."
Also on Friday, the Vatican released a selection of letters and drawings sent by children at the hospital, including a picture of a tree "For Pope Leo", complete with grass, sun and clouds, and a letter from an 18-year-old girl who wrote to Leo: "Better days will come for the both of us."
A seven-year-old boy named Angelo wrote that he, too, had been on the 10th floor of the Gemelli hospital for the past 36 days for a head operation.
"My mother and I pray for you every night," he wrote. "I hope you get well soon."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)