Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to begin a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on Friday, Nov. 6, less than a month after surgery to remove a lung tumor. (Foto: Instagram)
Pope Leo XIV is set to begin a 12-day trip to South America on Friday, Nov. 6, less than a month after surgery to remove a lung tumor. The itinerary includes Uruguay, Argentina and Peru; Brazil is not on the schedule. The trip will begin in Uruguay, continue to Argentina and end in Peru, where the pope spent many years before his election.
“Returning to Latin America, Pope Leo XIV is going back to places that shaped his life, especially Peru,” Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said. “His meetings with local communities will be full of memories, affection and gratitude. I believe that, personally, this will be a very intense and moving experience.”
Before becoming pope, Leo—born Robert Prevost—lived in Peru for nearly 20 years. Born in the United States, he later became a naturalized Peruvian citizen. He was sent to the country as a missionary and became bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in 2015. Chiclayo is among the destinations on his itinerary.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said at a news conference that arrangements were made to ensure the pope could recover from surgery before traveling. Bruni also said doctors were confident in his recovery and that appropriate medical care would be available throughout the trip. Leo underwent surgery for pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer, on Oct. 13.
The trip will be the seventh of Leo’s papacy and the longest so far. The Holy See says he is scheduled to deliver 36 speeches, all in Spanish. The itinerary includes stops in the Peruvian Amazon and visits to prisons.
The last pope to visit Uruguay and Argentina was John Paul II, in the 1980s. Pope Francis visited Peru in 2018.
