Pope Leo XIV's early discharge from the hospital gave 15,000 pilgrims who packed into St. Peter's Square under overcast skies their chance to see the pope on Oct. 18.

"I hope we'll see a little bit of a slowing down in the pace, but other than that, I'll be surprised if there were any change in the velocity of the change in personnel" at the Vatican, Fr. Arthur Purcaro said. 

Pope Leo XIV thanked thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square on Sunday for their prayers while he was hospitalized for an operation to remove a malignant tumor, and said he plans to gradually return to his usual duties. The crowd erupted in cheers when the pontiff showed himself in the window overlooking the square, where a week ago on the same occasion of the traditional Angelus blessing he revealed that a nodule had been located on his lung, and that it would be surgically removed.