Papa León XIV viajará a Uruguay, Argentina y Perú pese a su cirugía
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, after his recovery from lung cancer surgery was judged to be progressing favorably.
Pope Leo XIV will carry out his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, after the Vatican confirmed that his recovery from surgery for lung cancer is progressing well and that no clinical obstacles stand in the way of the trip. The Holy See announced the decision on Monday, October 26, following a medical evaluation carried out three weeks after the operation. The results allowed the programme of the 12-day visit to remain unchanged.
The trip will include religious ceremonies, meetings with government authorities and gatherings with local communities. The pontiff expressed his enthusiasm for returning to South America, a region with which he maintains a personal and pastoral bond, particularly because of the years he lived in Peru before being elected pope. "It fills me with joy to return to the continent where I have lived so many moments of my life," Leo XIV wrote in a message published on his account on X. He added that he hopes the visit will strengthen the unity of Catholic communities and renew their commitment to proclaim the Gospel with joy.
The possibility of the journey had raised doubts after the pope underwent an operation on October 13. During the intervention, doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, where a malignant nodule had been found. Subsequent studies confirmed that it was a lung adenocarcinoma. After the surgery, the pontiff was discharged from hospital and gradually resumed his public activities. On the Sunday before the announcement, he appeared before the faithful to pray the Angelus in St Peter's Square in the Vatican.
The Vatican reported that his clinical condition is favorable and that test results, laboratory analyses and medical assessments show no contraindications for international travel. The tour, however, involves a demanding schedule with numerous flights, visits to several cities and activities in high-altitude areas. For that reason, the medical team and the pope himself are adjusting his daily activities to support his recovery. The Holy See says it will continue to monitor his health.
The first stage of the journey takes place in Uruguay from November 6 to 8. The pope is scheduled to arrive in Montevideo on Friday, November 6, where he will be officially received and hold meetings with authorities, representatives of civil society and members of the Catholic Church. The agenda includes a visit to the country's president and an evening prayer service at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Montevideo. On Saturday, November 7, he will travel to Paysandú to celebrate Mass, then return to Montevideo for meetings with social and educational communities and a prayer vigil with young people at the Estadio Centenario. On Sunday, November 8, he will visit Florida for a Mass in the square in front of the cathedral and at the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three.
The second stage is in Argentina, from November 8 to 11. Leo XIV is due to reach Buenos Aires on Sunday, November 8, where he will be received by the country's authorities and take part in institutional meetings and religious celebrations. On Monday, November 9, he plans to visit the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole and celebrate Mass at the Monument to the Spaniards, as well as meet members of the university community and representatives of different religious traditions. On Tuesday, November 10, he will travel to Córdoba for a Mass at the facilities of the Military Aviation School and meet local Church representatives, returning the same day to Buenos Aires for a vigil with young people. The Argentine leg concludes on Wednesday, November 11, with a visit to the Federal Penitentiary Complex in Buenos Aires and a Mass in the square in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján.
Peru is the final stage of the apostolic journey, where the pope will stay from November 11 to 17. The visit carries special significance because of his pastoral career in the country, where he spent several years before assuming the papacy. His first official activity in Lima will be a reception with authorities and a meeting with representatives of the government, civil society and the diplomatic corps. In the following days, Leo XIV will meet bishops, priests, religious and members of Catholic communities. On November 13 he is scheduled to travel to Chiclayo.
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