Pope Leo left hospital in Rome on Saturday afternoon and returned to the Vatican four days after surgery for lung cancer, an illness that has prompted speculation about how it might affect his 17-month papacy.
The 71-year-old walked unaided to his waiting car, stopping to speak to well-wishers outside Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
He was pictured smiling broadly and waving through an open window when his black SUV left the hospital. He waved again to crowds as he was driven back into the Vatican but did not speak to anyone there before re-entering the world’s smallest country.
His doctors had said earlier on Saturday that he was well enough to return home after they carried out the latest blood tests and chest imaging, and that he was able to perform normal daily activities independently.