Pope Leo XIV begins 12-day South America tour weeks after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV departed Rome on November 6, 2026, to begin an 12-day, three-nation tour of South America visiting Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. The 71-year-old pontiff embarks on the demanding 31,000-kilometer itinerary involving 36 speeches just three weeks after undergoing surgery on October 13 to remove a cancerous lung growth. Vatican officials state Pope Leo XIV has completely recovered and requires no extra medical measures. The trip aims to address regional instability and counter declining Catholic alignment.

Pope Leo XIV begins Latin America tour

• ▪The 12-day Latin America tour by Pope Leo XIV includes visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to November 17, 2026
• ▪Pope Leo XIV departed to begin a 12-day tour of Latin America
• ▪Pope Leo XIV stated during a Wednesday weekly audience at St. Peter's Square that he hoped his trip to South America would strengthen faith, renew hope, and rekindle charity

Themes and agenda of the papal trip

• ▪Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated that Pope Leo XIV's speeches during his 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru would address environmental destruction, arms trafficking, and regional political instability
• ▪The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will meet with survivors of clerical sexual abuse in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru during his 12-day South America trip

Pope Leo XIV's itinerary in Uruguay

• ▪Pope Leo XIV begins his tour in secular Uruguay, where Catholic Church attendance is low and Uruguay's recent laws permitted cannabis, abortion, same-sex marriage, and assisted dying
• ▪Upon arriving in Montevideo, Uruguay, Pope Leo XIV scheduled meetings with Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi and local diplomats before delivering a welcome address
• ▪Pope Leo XIV begins his tour in Uruguay on November 6, 2026, featuring events in Montevideo, Casavalle, Paysandú, and a November 8 feast day in Florida

Pope Leo XIV's itinerary in Argentina

• ▪Argentine official projections estimate that approximately 7 million people will attend events with Pope Leo XIV during his three-day visit to Argentina
• ▪On November 8, 2026, Pope Leo XIV begins a three-day Argentina visit including a prison visit and addressing President Javier Milei, who previously criticized former Pope Francis

Itinerary and preparations in Peru

• ▪A 14-meter statue of Pope Leo XIV was erected in Callao, Peru, ahead of his scheduled visit to the port city
• ▪Pope Leo XIV arrives in Peru on November 11, 2026, for a six-day visit including Chiclayo, the Amazon rainforest in Pucallpa, and high-altitude Cusco

Pope Leo XIV's personal ties to Peru

• ▪Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope and a naturalized Peruvian citizen, served for nearly two decades in Peru as a missionary priest and bishop before becoming pope
• ▪Pope Leo XIV, formerly named Robert Francis Prevost, was ordained as bishop of the Chiclayo diocese in Peru in 2014

Pope Leo XIV's health and recovery from surgery

• ▪Medical experts consulted by Reuters stated that Pope Leo XIV may need rest breaks and supplemental oxygen during high-altitude stops in the Peruvian Andes
• ▪Pope Leo XIV passed the 14-day post-surgery medical convalescence period required by doctors prior to departing on his November 6, 2026 trip
• ▪Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery to remove a localized cancerous lung adenocarcinoma growth along with the lower lobe of his right lung
• ▪Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated that Pope Leo XIV has completely recovered from surgery and requires no extra medical precautions for his trip

Religious context in Latin America

• ▪Catholic leaders hope Pope Leo XIV's Latin American tour will counter declining membership across the region amid growth in evangelical denominations and non-religious affiliation
• ▪Latin America is home to approximately 40 percent of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics