Pope Leo Visits Latin America Post-Surgery

Pope Leo XIV departs for a three-country tour of Latin America on Nov. 6.

The 11-day itinerary spans Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It is the longest journey of his papacy. The trip begins three weeks after surgeons removed a cancerous tumor from his right lung on Oct. 13. Medical staff cleared him for travel. The region holds roughly 40% of the global Catholic population. That share has declined in recent years.

Leo lands in Uruguay first. The nation separates church and state strictly. Christmas is designated Family Day. Holy Week is called Tourism Week. Approximately 77% of Uruguay's 3.5 million residents are baptized Catholics. More than half identify as religiously unaffiliated. That rate is the highest in Latin America. Fewer still attend Mass regularly. The Pope will visit a parish in Casavalle. That area near Montevideo faces drug trafficking and gang violence. The church there runs housing and addiction recovery programs. He will also celebrate Mass in Paysandú. That city sits 230 miles from the capital. On Nov. 8, he will honor the Virgin of the Thirty-three. That is Uruguay's patron saint. The statue links the nation's independence from Brazil in 1825 to Catholic faith.

The journey continues to Argentina from Nov. 8 to 11. Leo will visit the cathedral in Buenos Aires. He will also tour the federal prison where his predecessor, Pope Francis, ministered to inmates. Francis refused to visit his home country during his own pontificate. Leo will meet President Javier Milei. The libertarian leader once called Francis the representative of evil on Earth. Milei later apologized. Tension exists over Milei's spending cuts. Church leaders criticize the government for reducing disability funding. Leo will visit the Don Orione care home in Claypole. That facility houses over 400 disabled individuals. It faces financial strain from inflation and state payment delays. Union leaders will brief the Pope on economic conditions at the Argentine Catholic University. They will discuss rising unemployment and poverty. Official data shows poverty reached 32.3% of the population in the first half of 2026. That figure represents about 15 million people. The pair may also discuss artificial intelligence. Milei favors limited regulation to attract investment. Leo has called for strict international safeguards on AI development. Leo will celebrate Mass at the Monumento de los Españoles. Pope John Paul II prayed for peace there during the 1982 Falklands War. Argentine Catholic identification has dropped from 71% to 58% since Francis was elected. Despite the decline, more than 2.8 million people joined the annual pilgrimage to the Luján Basilica this year.

Leo finishes in Peru from Nov. 11 to 16. He spent two decades serving as a priest and bishop in the country. He will return to his former diocese of Chiclayo. He will celebrate Mass in the mountain village of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba. His speech in Lima will address the future of the Peruvian people. Peru has a population of 34 million. It faces climate issues, violent crime, and inequality. In 2025, 25.7% of the population lived in monetary poverty. President Keiko Fujimori took office in July to restore order. She aims to curb extortion and homicides. Illegal gold mining and coca cultivation affect Indigenous communities. Leo will meet with popular groups in Cusco. That city was the capital of the Inca empire. He will also travel to Pucallpa in the Amazon to celebrate Mass. The Catholic share of Peru's population has fallen from 76% to 67% since 2013.