Pope Leo XIV has begun a significant journey across South America, visiting Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. This trip, scheduled from November 6 to 17, represents the longest and most distant tour of his papacy. It comes just three weeks after the pontiff underwent surgery on October 13 to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. Despite his recent medical history, doctors have cleared him for the travel.
The visit begins in Uruguay, a nation known for its secular identity and strict separation of church and state. In this country, Christmas is officially designated as Family Day, while Holy Week is labeled Tourism Week. Although nearly 77 percent of Uruguay's 3.5 million residents are baptized Catholics, more than half identify as religiously unaffiliated, the highest rate in Latin America. Regular Mass attendance remains low among those who claim the faith.
In Uruguay, the pope will visit a parish in Casavalle, a poor neighborhood in Montevideo affected by drug trafficking and gang violence. He is also scheduled to celebrate Mass in Paysandú, a city chosen for its accessibility to residents north of the Río Negro river. A key moment will be the commemoration of the Virgin of the Thirty-three on November 8. This patron saint is deeply tied to Uruguay's history, as 33 independence patriots are said to have carried her statue when declaring independence from the Brazilian empire in 1825.
The itinerary continues in Argentina, where the pope will formally honor his predecessor, Pope Francis. Leo will visit Buenos Aires Cathedral and the federal prison where Francis once served as a priest. The visit also includes a meeting with President Javier Milei, a libertarian leader who previously called Francis the representative of evil on Earth before later apologizing. Current tensions exist between the government and church leaders over spending cuts that have impacted disability funding and support for the poor.
Economic concerns will be central to the Argentine leg of the trip. The pope will visit the Don Orione care home in Claypole, which houses over 400 people with disabilities and faces financial strain due to inflation and state payment delays. Union leaders plan to brief him on rising unemployment and poverty, which reached 32.3 percent of the population in the first half of 2026. A potential point of friction may also arise over artificial intelligence, as President Milei promotes limited regulation while Leo has advocated for strict international safeguards.
The final destination is Peru, the country where Leo spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop. He considers this region his second homeland. In Lima, he will deliver a speech on the future challenges facing the Peruvian people. The country, with a population of 34 million, currently deals with climate issues, violent crime, and poverty. In 2025, 25.7 percent of the population lived in monetary poverty.
Under President Keiko Fujimori, who took office in July 2025, the nation is focused on restoring order amid extortion and homicides. Environmental pressures from illegal gold mining and coca cultivation continue to affect Indigenous communities. The pope will engage with popular groups in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire, and travel to Pucallpa in the Amazon to honor Indigenous peoples. Although the Catholic population in Peru has declined to approximately 67 percent, large crowds are expected to welcome his return.
This tour highlights the complex relationship between the Catholic Church and the secular and political landscapes of Latin America. As the region's Catholic population shrinks, the pope's presence serves as a reminder of the faith's enduring cultural and historical significance in these nations.
