The Vatican has released the first pictures of Pope Leo XIV since his lung surgery, showing him standing at an altar and celebrating Mass at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital as he continues to recover from an operation to remove a cancerous tumour.

The pictures, released on Friday, show the 70-year-old pontiff celebrating Mass in a room on the hospital’s 10th floor, where he has been recovering since undergoing surgery on Tuesday.

He distributed Communion to members of the hospital’s medical and nursing staff and Vatican security personnel who attended the service.

In his sermon, the Pope thanked the medical team for caring for patients and for the treatment they have provided to him during his hospital stay.

“The Pope thanked all the staff—doctors, nurses, and orderlies—for the work they do every day caring for patients in their frailty, and especially for what they have done and continue to do for him,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

The release of the pictures came as his doctors reported further improvement in his condition following the operation. Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said blood tests and a chest X-ray conducted on Friday confirmed that his overall condition was improving.

“His postoperative recovery allows him to carry out normal daily activities entirely independently,” the doctors said, adding that respiratory physiotherapy sessions were continuing.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer would take place on Sunday, although it did not specify whether the Pope would lead it from the hospital or elsewhere.

Pope Leo was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on October 13 for surgery to remove a small, localised nodule in his right lung.

He had announced the planned operation during the Angelus on October 11, saying the growth had been detected during recent medical examinations and that his doctors had recommended surgery.

The procedure lasted approximately 90 minutes and was completed successfully without complications. An examination of tissue taken during the operation confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer.

The Vatican has not disclosed the tumour’s stage or whether the cancer has spread to other parts of his body. Further examination of the removed tissue is expected to help doctors determine the next steps in his treatment.