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Pope Leo greets crowds after cancer surgery

The seventy-one-year-old pontiff addressed pilgrims in St. Peter's Square from an apostolic palace window, speaking in a firm, clear voice five days after lung cancer surgery.

On air: Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Dale Bearman on Weekend Edition
Published 6:32 AM ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026

Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

▶ As it aired · World

Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Dale Bearman on this story, from Weekend Edition at 6:32 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Newsmax's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: St. Peter's Square — Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

From the show

Interviews“I'd settle for a bicycle at this point, Hank. They're all still in my cousin's garage.”Zephyrine Moncada▶ Full · 1:36Pope Leo's Surgery: Influencer Sells Holy Lung Reset RollerInterviews · Oct 12

At a glance

First reported by Newsmax: “Pope Leo Greets Crowds at Vatican in First Event Since Cancer Surgery”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 6:32 AM ET on Weekend Edition, by Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Dale Bearman.
Topics: Vatican, Pope Leo.
BBN covered this story before: Pope Leo Home at the Vatican; Experts Weigh the Recovery (October 17).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

NewsmaxPope Leo Greets Crowds at Vatican in First Event Since Cancer Surgery

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorPope Leo spoke to crowds in St. Peter's Square this morning, his first public event since lung cancer surgery five days ago.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe seventy-one-year-old smiled from a window of the apostolic palace and spoke to pilgrims in a firm, clear voice.

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