General Audience live: Pope Leo XIV returns to St Peter's Square after surgery
Today at 10 am, the first General Audience since the 13 October surgery, confirmed by the Press Office. Vatican News live stream
Pope Leo XIV is recovering in the Vatican after his lung surgery on 13 October at the Gemelli Hospital, from which he was discharged on 17 October. At the Angelus on 18 October he said: "I will gradually resume my activities" (vatican.va).
Live. Today's General Audience, 21 October, at 10 am in St Peter's Square, live on Vatican News:
The schedule. The Prefecture of the Papal Household cancelled all audiences until Tuesday 20 October (statement B0807). Here we follow the Pope's gradual return to his engagements.
The Latin America trip. The apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is scheduled for 6–17 November: since the surgery the Holy See has not yet officially confirmed that it will go ahead as planned. The surgeon Stefano Margaritora told Vatican News there are no clinical reasons against the trip: this is a medical assessment, not a confirmation from the Holy See (the interview with the surgeon). The full picture in our explainer (what we know and what the risks are).
How to read this page. Here we gather official statements, comments and verified news, each with its source. News from the countries on the itinerary and press reports not confirmed by the Holy See are marked REPORT.
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Minute by minute
- Wednesday 21 October11:44Latest
The Pope blesses the Simpecado of El Rocío de la Macarena
21 October, 11:43 a.m. (Rome) · During his popemobile tour at the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV blessed the Simpecado, the banner bearing the image of the Virgin of El Rocío, of Seville's Hermandad del Rocío de la Macarena, carried into St. Peter's Square by pilgrims in Rome for the brotherhood's 40th anniversary. Source: Diario de Sevilla.
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Papa Leone XIV benedice il Simpecado dalla papamobile (© Vatican Media) / Pope Leo XIV blesses the Simpecado from the popemobile (© Vatican Media) In the greetings, the Ibiza martyrs and the "Psalms of Peace" concert
21 October, 10:57 a.m. (Rome) · In his greetings at the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV recalled Saturday's beatification in Ibiza of Juan Torres Torres and 19 companions, priests from the islands of Ibiza and Formentera killed out of hatred for the faith: «La loro testimonianza ci incoraggia a fare della vita un'offerta d'amore a Dio e ai fratelli» ("Their witness encourages us to make our lives an offering of love to God and to our brothers and sisters", our translation). To Polish pilgrims, he expressed the hope that the "Psalms of Peace" concert for the 45th anniversary of the Vatican John Paul II Foundation «favorisca propositi di pace e di riconciliazione» ("may foster resolutions of peace and reconciliation", our translation). Source: Vatican News.
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Papa Leone XIV in papamobile tra i fedeli (Vatican Media) / Pope Leo XIV in the popemobile among the faithful (Vatican Media) Catechesis: life "must be protected with the utmost care"
21 October, 10:57 a.m. (Rome) · Pope Leo XIV at the General Audience: «la vita, una volta concepita, deve essere protetta con la massima cura» ("life, once conceived, must be protected with the utmost care", our translation), rejecting «l'aborto come l'infanticidio» ("abortion as well as infanticide"). In his catechesis on the family, quoting Gaudium et spes, he called children «il dono più eccellente del matrimonio» ("the supreme gift of marriage") and said life «mai va scartata» ("must never be discarded", our translation). Source: Vatican News.
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Papa Leone XIV in papamobile all'Udienza generale (Vatican Media) / Pope Leo XIV in the popemobile at the General Audience (Vatican Media) The catechesis: marriage and the family, the foundation of society
21 October, 10:33 a.m. (Rome) · At the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV devoted his catechesis to marriage and the family, continuing his series on Vatican II's Gaudium et spes. He called the family the foundation of society, urged those with political and cultural responsibility to support it, and said this commitment is more urgent than ever. "Let us, therefore, pray for God's blessing and protection upon all families." Source: Vatican News.
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Piazza San Pietro durante l'Udienza generale (Vatican Media) / St Peter's Square during the General Audience (Vatican Media) Pope Leo XIV smiles and waves from the popemobile
21 October, 10:22 a.m. (Rome) · Pope Leo XIV smiles and waves from the popemobile among the faithful in St Peter's Square at the General Audience, his first public outing since his surgery and return from the Gemelli hospital.
The video: https://x.com/VaticanReportIt/status/2112821227790413982
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Papa Leone XIV in papamobile all'Udienza generale (fotogramma Vatican Media) / Pope Leo XIV in the popemobile at the General Audience (Vatican Media frame) The Pope to the faithful: "Thank you for the support of your prayers"
21 October, 10:10 a.m. (Rome) · At his first General Audience in St Peter's Square since his hospitalisation, Pope Leo XIV thanked the faithful: «La prima cosa che vorrei dirvi è grazie, grazie per il sostegno delle vostre preghiere. Grazie a Dio per la sua generosità. Rinnoviamo tutti la nostra fiducia nella bontà e la misericordia di Dio» ("The first thing I want to say to you is thank you, thank you for the support of your prayers. Thanks be to God for his generosity. Let us all renew our trust in God's goodness and mercy", our translation). Source: Vatican News.
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Papa Leone XIV all'Udienza generale (Vatican News) / Pope Leo XIV at the General Audience (Vatican News)
Source: Vatican Report