Pope Leo XIV has commenced a demanding 12-day tour of Latin America, beginning in Uruguay and continuing through Argentina and Peru, just three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer. The Vatican says no extraordinary measures are being taken in relation to the Pope's health.
At a briefing ahead of the trip, a spokeswoman stressed that the Pope has 'fantastic stamina' and was 'extremely enthusiastic' about a programme he 'personally confirmed... with no changes'. The Pope revealed last month that doctors had discovered a tumour during a routine scan. The growth was removed along with the lower lobe of his right lung, with his medical team confirming the cancer had not spread.
The itinerary is broad in scope, covering thousands of miles from the Amazon to the Andes. Uruguay is hosting its first papal visit in four decades, before the Pope heads to Argentina for a leg that could be the most politically sensitive, and finally to Peru for what the Vatican describes as a return to his roots. Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost in the United States, spent almost 20 years in Peru on and off and holds Peruvian citizenship.
In Argentina, President Javier Milei, who once called Pope Francis 'evil on earth' over his social justice teachings, has struck a welcoming tone for the Argentine leg. In a post on X, Milei wrote that Argentina awaits 'with immense joy'.
Father Fernando Laguna, rector of Argentina's national church in Rome, told the BBC the visit is also a 'homage to Francis, who didn't make it to Argentina [as pope]'. 'When this visit by Pope Leo was announced, it filled all of our hearts with joy,' he said. 'I don't think he ever thought of calling it off.'
The Pope will meet with survivors of clerical sexual abuse in all three countries, an issue which clouded a 2018 visit to Chile and Peru by his predecessor.
Professor Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University described the tour as the Vatican's way of showing it is 'back on track' after the Pope's surgery. He told the BBC the Pope has had a busy return to work and 'seems in great shape'. Faggioli believes the trip is the papacy's reconnection with Latin America, and that the Pope has a strong sense of continental unity. He asked whether the Pope would travel to the United States while President Trump is still in office, and said he was sure they were thinking about it.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The trip is a major public test of the Pope's recovery from lung cancer surgery and his ability to maintain a rigorous schedule.
- It reasserts Vatican presence and influence in Latin America, a region where Catholicism faces demographic decline but remains politically significant.
- The Argentine leg requires careful navigation of a tense relationship between the Vatican's social doctrine and the austerity policies of President Javier Milei's government.
- The Peru leg deepens the Pope's personal bond with the region, reinforcing his image as a global pastor connected to local communities.
Background
Pope Leo XIV, elected in 2025, is a US-born Augustinian who spent nearly 20 years in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship. His time as a priest and bishop in the country is seen as fundamental to shaping his papacy. In October 2026 he revealed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had undergone successful surgery. The current 12-day trip covers Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the latter of which the Vatican describes as a homecoming.
Key Perspectives
- Vatican: Stresses the Pope is in excellent health and enthusiastic about the standard schedule, maintaining that the cancer episode is firmly in the past.
- Prof Massimo Faggioli (Villanova University): Views the trip as a message that the papacy is 'back on track' and a reconnection with Latin America after less successful visits by Pope Francis.
- President Javier Milei: Has publicly welcomed the Pope despite having previously used harsh language against Pope Francis, indicating a potential thaw in church-state relations in Argentina.
- Father Fernando Laguna: Celebrates the visit as a 'homage' to Pope Francis and a source of immense joy for Argentine Catholics.
What to Watch
- The Pope's health over the 12-day itinerary, particularly the high-altitude events in Cusco, Peru.
- The tone and substance of the Pope's meetings with President Milei in Argentina.
- Outcomes of the Pope's meetings with clerical abuse survivors in all three countries.
- Any signals regarding a potential future papal visit to the United States.