Pope launches 11-day South America trip

Pope León XIV has begun an 11-day tour of South America that takes him to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. The journey runs from November 6 to November 17 and includes 12 flights and two helicopter rides. It marks one of the most extensive papal trips in recent years.

The 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery less than three weeks ago to remove a lung tumor. Doctors said he does not need further treatment and cleared him for the long journey. The Vatican noted that he is still in the recovery phase.

“It fills me with joy to return to the continent where I have lived so many moments of my life,” León said on Monday when he confirmed the schedule. The itinerary includes an outdoor Mass and a high-altitude prayer session in the Andes.

Christopher White, a Georgetown University professor who has written a book on the pope, told AFP that this will be the most watched trip of León’s papacy. White said the journey would have been a physical feat without the recent surgery. He added that the trip will now face even closer scrutiny.

The tour starts in Uruguay, a country with a secular government that often disagrees with the Catholic Church on issues like same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia. Euthanasia became legal there last year. President Yamandú Orsi will greet the pope. Analysts expect León to call for the protection of life.

The pope will then travel to Argentina, the home country of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Authorities anticipate seven million pilgrims will gather in the capital to see León. He will meet with President Javier Milei, a right-wing leader who had a tense relationship with Pope Francis. Local church leaders have criticized Milei’s economic reforms for leaving millions of citizens on the edge of survival.

The trip concludes in Peru, the country where León served as a bishop in Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. Before becoming pope, he was known as Robert Francis Prevost. He is the first U.S.-born pope and has Peruvian citizenship. Elise Ann Allen, a Vatican expert who wrote a biography of León, said he has been eager to return to the Andean nation.

In Peru, the pope will celebrate a Mass on a desert plain near the Pacific Ocean. He will also visit Cusco and Pucallpa. In Lima, he will meet with President Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori. She is the ninth person to hold the office in the last decade.

León is expected to address issues like rising crime, the cocaine trade, and the plight of approximately 1.6 million Venezuelan migrants in the country. His visit to Cusco will last less than three hours due to its high altitude.

White said that if the pope completes the trip successfully, it will reinforce the image of León as a strong and vigorous leader. The public will be watching to see if he has fully overcome the effects of his cancer.