Pope Leo to Tour Latin America After Lung Cancer Surgery

Three weeks after lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV is embarking on the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate: a 12-day, three-nation tour of Latin America. The journey carries significant personal and historic weight, as Leo returns to Peru, where he served for two decades as a missionary priest, and visits Argentina, the homeland of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Leo, 71, underwent successful surgery on October 13 at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to remove a cancerous adenocarcinoma and the lower lobe of his right lung. Vatican officials confirmed the cancer was detected at an early stage and described the growth as a nódulo localizado. The surgery resolved the concern and left him with no permanent condition, the Vatican said, adding there was no medical reason to delay the trip.

A 31,000-Kilometer Journey

The trip, scheduled from November 6 to 17, involves approximately a dozen flights and two helicopter rides, covering more than 31,000 kilometers. It will be the longest and most extensive travel of Leo’s papacy to date. While popes always travel with medical support, the Vatican has noted no special provisions will be made for Leo, including for the high-altitude portion of the visit to Cusco, Peru, at 3,400 meters.

Pope Leo XIV Latin America tour: 3 weeks after lung cancer surgery, pope will head to Peru, #Shorts

Leo’s itinerary will take him first to Uruguay, then Argentina, and finally to Peru. Each leg of the journey has a distinct motto and purpose. The visit to Uruguay, the most secular country in Latin America, carries the theme I bring you news of great joy. It marks the first papal visit to the country since 1988. Argentina’s leg, Welcome everyone. Go and proclaim, holds particular significance as the homeland of Francis. The final stop in Peru, Let us open our hearts, is deeply personal for Leo, who served there as a missionary and bishop.

Pope Expresses Eagerness for Journey

Despite the recent surgery, Vatican officials have emphasized Leo’s excitement for the journey. He is so excited. He personally confirmed this trip with no changes, said Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the Vatican’s Prefect for Communication. She explained that the Pope had asked her to convey his gratitude for the affection and concern shown by the faithful, which he views as a sign of their hope.

Pope Leo XIV’s visit brings excitement to Uruguay, one of Latin America’s most secular nations

In a message to journalists, Leo expressed his eagerness to share his experience of the Church in Latin America. He is personally looking forward to this journey and hopes that you will help share his message of peace and encounter with the world, Alvarado relayed, reading from the Pope’s request. So that others can see what he knows through personal experience: the wonderful way the Church is expressed in Latin America through its diverse peoples and cultures.

Managing Complex Legacies

The trip is not without its complexities. Leo will be stepping into the legacy of Francis, who famously never returned to Argentina after his election in 2013. Guzmán Carriquiry, a close friend of Francis and former head of the Vatican’s pontifical commission for Latin America, noted this void. How many times, I and other people asked him, Carriquiry said, but it was useless, useless! He’d respond with jokes, by staying silent or getting irritated if you insisted. Carriquiry believes Leo’s visit will “fill a void that has remained.”

Pope Leo to Tour Latin America After Lung Cancer Surgery — Photo: vaticannews.va

In Argentina, Leo’s meeting with President Javier Milei could prove delicate. Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist, has openly criticized Francis in the past.

A Homecoming to Peru

Peru represents the emotional heart of the journey. Alvarado described it as a sort of homecoming, explaining that this is a place that gave him his ministry and inspired who he is as a pastor. Leo himself told Peruvian bishops in September that it was in Peru where he came to know firsthand the faith of a people from whom I received so much, and I came to understand better what it means to be a shepherd.

FULL DEPARTURE: Pope Leo Leaves Rome for South American Tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru | AK1W

The Pope’s connection to Peru is so strong that he gave the nation a shoutout in Spanish from St. Peter’s Basilica balcony on the night of his election. He is expected to show a more relaxed and personal side during this visit, speaking off-the-cuff as he revisits places and communities that shaped his ministry. Alvarado noted, You will see that again but in a totally different way because he knows these streets.

The trip’s success will depend not only on Leo’s physical stamina but also on how he navigates the political and religious landscapes of each nation.