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Pope Leo XIV Begins Latin America Tour Post-Surgery
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV, 71, began an 12-day tour of South America on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, despite undergoing a lobectomy for localized lung cancer just 24 days prior.
Pope Leo visits Argentina on second leg of expansive Latin America tour after lung surgery. CBS Evening News
Pope Leo XIV, 71, began an 12-day tour of South America on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, despite undergoing a lobectomy for localized lung cancer just 24 days prior.
The tour, which includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, is Pope Leo's first visit to Latin America since his election as pope.
Pope Leo departed from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, for Montevideo, Uruguay, marking the start of his journey.
In Uruguay, Pope Leo addressed an estimated 40,000 people, urging them to build bridges of fraternity and faith, and highlighting the importance of mate tea in the region.
Pope Leo emphasized the role of families in evangelization, encouraging them to make their homes places where Christ is known and His presence shapes daily life.
The pope's doctors confirmed that he did not require further oncological treatment after surgery and that his recovery was progressing well.
Pope Leo's itinerary includes a 2,200-mile flight from Buenos Aires to Lima and a military helicopter flight, with no changes made to his schedule to account for his recent hospitalization.
Pope Leo XIV's visit to South America aims to strengthen faith, renew hope, and rekindle the fire of charity, according to his own statement.
Pope Leo XIV also addressed the issue of violent crime in Latin America, emphasizing the need for social justice and protection for the vulnerable.
Pope Leo XIV's visit to South America is seen as a call for social reconciliation and a path to follow, according to Cruz Serrano, a papal diplomat to North and South American countries.
Pope Leo XIV's visit to South America is expected to raise the profile of the Catholic Church in the region, particularly in Uruguay, the most secularized country in Latin America.
Background
Pope Leo XIV started an 12-day tour of South America, beginning in Uruguay.
Pope Leo XIV warned that economic imbalances threaten world peace, urging political leaders to prioritize the common good.
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.
- Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey to Latin America, following its first stage in Uruguay, continues in Argentina and already looks ahead to his beloved Peru.
What's still developing
- "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," Pope Leo said.
- Pope Leo's trip to South America next month will go ahead as planned, the Vatican said Monday, confirming the papal visit nearly two weeks after the pontiff's lung-cancer surgery.
- 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.
- As they waited, they joined in singing led by La Sole, a popular Argentine folk and Latin pop singer and songwriter, wearing a large blue and white poncho.