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Pope Leo XIV to Visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru

Updated 1:09 AM ET · 12:11 AM ETConfirmed

Faith Desk

In Short: Pope Leo XIV will travel to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6 to 17, 2026, after doctors cleared him for travel following lung cancer surgery.

Pope Leo XIV will embark on a journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to 17, 2026, following a medical clearance after undergoing lung cancer surgery. The Vatican confirmed that there are no medical reasons preventing the pope from traveling, allowing the trip to proceed as scheduled.

The pope's visit to Uruguay will begin on November 6, with a flight from Rome expected to last nearly 13 hours. Upon arrival, he will visit the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, at his residence in the Edificio José Artigas.

In Argentina, Pope Leo XIV will stay from November 8 to 11, meeting with survivors of clergy sexual abuse and addressing the country's ongoing reckoning with abuse cases. The Vatican has emphasized that the pope's role is that of a pastor and not a political actor, highlighting the importance of his message of faith, hope, and peace.

The pontiff will touch down at Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires City on November 8, at 4:30 p.m., after a flight from Uruguay. He will also visit Peru from November 11 to 16, making him the first pope to visit Uruguay since St. John Paul II.

During his visit, Pope Leo XIV will meet with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, a significant issue in Argentina where victims have been demanding action from the Vatican, including addressing cases in which Pope Francis was personally involved.

The Vatican has published the schedule for the apostolic journey, which includes a series of events aimed at strengthening ties with local churches and encouraging the faithful. The pope's health remains a concern, but doctors have deemed the nodule on his lung to be at an early stage and well-defined.

Pope Leo XIV's visit to South America will be marked by a series of events that highlight the importance of faith and community. The Vatican has emphasized the pope's commitment to addressing the needs of the faithful and promoting a message of hope and peace.

In a message from 2013, Pope Francis, before his election, praised Father Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, known as the 'gaucho priest,' for his dedication to serving the marginalized. The pope's upcoming visit will also honor Uruguay's only canonized saint, Maria Francesca, and other saints from the region.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• From there, he will travel to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
• At 6:15 p.m., the pope will pay a courtesy visit to the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, at his residence at the Edificio José Artigas.
• "The Holy See Press Office confirms that the Apostolic Journey of Pope Leo XIV to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for 6–17 November 2026, will proceed according to the programme previously published," said the Vatican in a note.
• Argentina (OSV News) — Bishops’ conferences across Latin America urged prayers for the health of Pope Leo XIV, whose visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru remains uncertain after he underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
• The pope’s flight from Rome to Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, is expected to last close to 13 hours.
• The Vatican has published the schedule for Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to Latin America, where he will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17.
• Pope Leo XIV is set to be the first pope to visit Uruguay since St.

What's still developing

• Pope Francis, in a message in 2013 for the priest’s beatification — a ceremony scheduled before the Argentine pope was elected — said Father Brochero “did not stay in the sacristy combing the sheep,” but went out in search of the lost.
• He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Spanish immigrants who later returned to Spain.
• The Pope was "remaining attentive to the needs of each day and allowing for appropriate periods of rest," it said, adding that Leo was "deeply grateful for the prayers and affection he has received from throughout the world." Pope Leo is due to arrive in Argentina on Sunday, November 8, staying in the country until Wednesday, November 11.
• Credit: Getty On Wednesday, ahead of Leo XIV’s trip to South America next week, the head of Argentina’s episcopal conference offered a surprising analysis of the three-country apostolic visit: “He comes as a pastor and as Peter’s successor, not as a political actor.” Such a statement should be self-evident for a papal trips.
• His absence was at times attributed to the grieta or “crack” which splits Argentina between Peronists and non-Peronists, based on the ideology of the country’s former president Juan Perón.
• “May she shelter him beneath her mantle, strengthen him during this time of trial, and grant him serenity and solace.” Pope Leo is still scheduled to arrive in Uruguay on Nov.
• Speaking ahead of the journey that is scheduled to unfold from 11 to 16 November, taking him from Uruguay to Argentina, to Peru, Father Walter Corsini, Vicar General of the Missionary Servants of the Poor, shares his testimony with Vatican News.
• The pope said the removal surgery is planned in the “coming days."
• “During some check-ups, doctors discovered a localized nodule on my lung,” the 71-year-old Pope Leo told people who gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer on Sunday.
• Health problems clouded over previous popes, with Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, spending an extended period in hospital and facing multiple health difficulties in the final months of his life.
• Leo is relatively young for a pope, and generally seen to be in good health.

Sources

• Dayton247Nowlink
• OSV Newslink
• PBSlink
• Angelusnewslink
• Batimeslink
• Unherdlink
• OSV Newslink
• Aciafricalink
• Cathstanlink
• Ncregisterlink
• Vaticannewslink
• Ewtnnewslink
• Cruxnowlink
• WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV to Visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru link
• WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV's South America Trip Marked by 'God-incidences' link
• EWTN News — video link