Pope Leo to make Sunday appearance after 'steady improvement'

Pope Leo will appear in public on Sunday for the first time since undergoing lung cancer surgery as the 71-year-old pontiff shows steady improvement and is able to work and do normal daily activities independently, the Vatican said on Friday.

Leo will be seen leading a traditional noontime prayer on Sunday, the Vatican said, while preparations continue for his planned November trip to South America.

Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung in an operation on Tuesday.

The Vatican on Friday released the first images of the pope since his surgery, showing him celebrating Mass and standing unaided.

Leo underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray this morning, "confirming steady improvement in his overall condition", according to the latest medical bulletin on his condition.

"His post-operative recovery is allowing him to carry out normal daily activities with full independence," it said.

The Vatican signaled on Friday that Leo, known for keeping a busy schedule, intended to keep up his commitments, as some cardinals began to publicly express concern about the pope's health.

It said work on his November 6 to 17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru was "going forward" and released a list of journalists accredited to travel with Leo and cover the trip.

The Vatican did not say on Friday when the pope might be discharged from hospital. It has previously indicated his recovery would take about a week.

The pope's doctors have said his surgery was completed successfully, without complications. They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.