Cardinal George is released from hospital.

With the help of crutches, Cardinal Francis George walked out of the hospital in good spirits today after a 19-day stay for cancer surgery.

"I feel very good; it’s nice to be out," he said. "I’m very grateful to God and especially to all those people who pray for me to sustain me."

George, 69, had surgery late last month to remove a cancerous bladder, his prostate and a section of his right ureter.

When asked how he felt in comparison to when he entered Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood July 27, he said, "Well, I’m not in any pain now, and wasn’t in any pain then. But there was a lot of pain in between."