Pope Leo XIV begins Latin America trip weeks after cancer surgery
The 71-year-old pontiff travels to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, with a return to the country where he served as a priest for many years.
Key points
- Pope Leo XIV began a 12-day tour of Latin America, according to the BBC.
- He had surgery for lung cancer three weeks before the trip; the Vatican says his cancer had not spread.
- The tour covers Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, including a homecoming to Peru.
- Meetings with clerical sexual abuse survivors are planned in all three countries.
Pope Leo XIV has set off on a long trip to Latin America, only three weeks after surgery for lung cancer, according to the BBC. The tour includes a visit to Peru, the country where he spent many years as a priest and where he is widely described as coming home.
The Vatican says the 71-year-old pontiff is not taking any special precautions over his health. Officials describe him as a man who has had an operation, rather than someone living with a lasting medical condition. The Pope himself disclosed last month that a tumour had been found during a routine scan.
Surgeons removed the growth together with the lower lobe of his right lung. Afterwards, his medical team reported no sign that the illness had moved beyond the original site. Before departure, a Vatican spokeswoman said he had fantastic stamina and was keen on the schedule, which she said he had confirmed personally without changes.
A 12-day tour across three countries
The trip lasts 12 days and takes in thousands of miles, moving between rainforest and mountain regions. It includes several long-haul and domestic flights. The first stop is Uruguay, where the number of Catholics has dropped sharply in recent years. It is the first papal visit there in four decades.
Next comes Argentina, the homeland of Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, who never visited the country as pope. A priest at Argentina’s national church in Rome said the trip felt like a tribute to Francis. This leg may be the most politically sensitive, as it includes talks with heads of state.
Argentine President Javier Milei once attacked Pope Francis in harsh terms, but he has now publicly welcomed Leo. Argentina’s bishops have criticised Milei’s spending cuts to social programmes. Millions of people are expected to turn out to see the Pope.
Return to Peru
The trip ends in Peru. Leo was born in the United States as Robert Prevost, spent almost 20 years in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship. Observers say those years shaped his papacy.
His schedule includes the diocese of Chiclayo, where he was ordained a bishop in 2014 and stayed until Francis moved him to Rome almost a decade later. He will also say Mass in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, at an altitude above 3,000 metres, before travelling to Pucallpa in the Amazon.
Abuse survivors and wider context
In all three countries, the Vatican says the Pope will hold meetings with people who survived abuse by clergy. That issue overshadowed a 2018 visit to Chile and Peru by Francis.
Massimo Faggioli, a professor at Villanova University, told the BBC that the trip shows the papacy reconnecting with Latin America. He said democracies in the region face pressure, giving the Pope many topics to address. He also raised the question of a future visit to the United States while Donald Trump is president, a matter he said the Vatican is likely weighing.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Pope Leo XIV travelling so soon after surgery?
The Vatican says he is not under extraordinary medical measures and describes him as a 71-year-old who has had an operation. He had a tumour removed from his right lung last month, and his medical team reported no sign of spread.
Which countries are on the Popeu0026#039;s Latin America trip?
The 12-day tour covers Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The Peru leg includes visits to Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa.
Why is the Peru visit described as a homecoming?
Leo, born in the United States as Robert Prevost, spent almost 20 years in Peru and has Peruvian citizenship. He was also ordained a bishop in Chiclayo in 2014.
Sources
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