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Pope Leo XIV Begins South America Tour Post-Surgery
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV embarked on an 12-day tour of South America, beginning with a flight to Uruguay, just 24 days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
Peru gets ready to welcome Pope Leo XIV on his South America tour • FRANCE 24 English. FRANCE 24 English
Pope Leo XIV embarked on an 12-day tour of South America, beginning with a flight to Uruguay, just 24 days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the pope is clinically fit for the trip, despite his recent surgery.
Pope Leo emphasized the importance of the journey, stating, 'I entrust myself to your prayers, that this trip may strengthen faith, renew hope, rekindle the fire of charity, and serve as an impetus to continue proclaiming the Gospel with joy.'
The pope's doctors confirmed that he does not require further oncological treatment following his surgery.
In Uruguay, Pope Leo addressed an estimated 40,000 people, urging them to build bridges of fraternity and faith, and highlighting the importance of communion with the poor and vulnerable.
Pope Leo's trip to South America is also viewed as a pastoral journey, emphasizing meetings with political and diplomatic leaders, as well as representatives of civil society.
Pope Leo XIV's visit to South America is expected to raise the profile of the Catholic Church in the region, particularly in Uruguay, which is the most secularized country in Latin America.
What this adds
Pope Leo's doctors confirmed he does not require further oncological treatment after his surgery.
Pope Leo's visit to South America is his first since his election as pope, and it marks a significant return to the continent that shaped his early ministry.
Background
Pope Leo XIV warned that economic imbalances threaten world peace, urging political leaders to prioritize the common good.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on Friday to begin an 12-day tour of South America, three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery for lung cancer.
What's confirmed
- 6-17 trip will be his first visit to Latin America since his election as pope, bringing him back to the continent that shaped his life and ministry, first as a missionary priest then bishop in Peru, where he will spend the final and longest leg of the trip.
- A papal diplomat to North American and South American countries said Pope Leo XIV brings a “message of hope” to the people.
- “The pope’s presence serves as a call for social reconciliation wherever there are fractures or divisions, and it will also point us toward a path to follow.” Cruz Serrano was appointed as observer to the OAS under Pope Francis in 2021 and remains in the role.
What's still developing
- It is the first of 14 flights Pope Leo will take in an ambitious itinerary that will bring the 71-year-old pope to a new destination nearly every day, including a 2,200-mile flight from Buenos Aires to Lima and a military helicopter flight Nov.
- Vatican officials said that no changes were made to the pope's schedule in South America to account for his recent hospitalization.
- According to the announcement, the pope will begin his journey by departing Rome on Nov.
- Pope Leo XIV departs from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, for Montevideo, Uruguay, at the start of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.
- The Vatican press office said the pope's recovery continues to progress in line with favorable assessments from his medical team.
- Speaking on board the papal plane to South America, the first US-born pope responded to a question from CNN about the significance of him voting.
- Pope Francis — who died in April 2025 — was born in Buenos Aires and never once returned to his homeland during his entire pontificate, a conspicuous absence that defined part of his legacy.
- Pope Leo XIV arrives to preside over a Mass at Monumento de los EspaÒoles in Buenos Aires, on the fourth day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Monday, Nov.