Pope Leo XIV has departed Rome for a 12-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, marking his return to South America a month after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
The 71-year-old pontiff left on Friday for the tour, which is expected to draw millions of faithful across the three countries where he has strong personal and religious ties, having spent decades as a missionary in Peru.
The Vatican said Leo had fully recovered from his October 13 operation and would not require additional medical precautions during the trip.
His itinerary includes visits to 10 cities, approximately 31,000 kilometres of travel and 36 speeches, making it one of the most demanding overseas tours by a pope in decades.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni described the visit as a “homecoming to places where he spent a long time and to which he feels closely connected”.
Leo, who was born in Chicago, became a Peruvian citizen after spending several decades in the country.
Speaking to pilgrims during his weekly audience at St Peter’s Square on Wednesday, the pope said he hoped to “strengthen the faith, renew hope, (and) rekindle the fire of charity” during the tour.
Leo is expected to address political and social challenges across the region, including environmental destruction, arms trafficking and political instability.
He will also meet government leaders, celebrate outdoor Masses, visit a prison in Argentina and travel by helicopter to remote Andean communities in Peru.
The pontiff is scheduled to address Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday.
Milei, a right-wing libertarian, is considered a close ally of US President Donald Trump, who criticised Leo earlier this year following the pope’s remarks on the Iran war.
According to Bruni, the pope’s message during the visit will focus on unity and solidarity, with the Vatican spokesman saying, “The pope brings a message of communion and unity, an invitation to recognise one another … as members of one same family”.
Argentine officials have estimated that about seven million people could attend events involving the pontiff.
Leo’s visit is also expected to help strengthen Catholicism in Latin America, where the Church has faced declining membership amid the growth of evangelical denominations and changing social attitudes.
The tour will include meetings with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, as the Church seeks to address scandals that have damaged its reputation across the region.
Leo underwent surgery for lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, last month.
His doctors said the disease was localised and that he would not need further treatment following the operation.
Although the Vatican has confirmed his recovery, medical experts have suggested that the pope may need occasional rest during the demanding schedule, particularly during visits to high-altitude areas in the Peruvian Andes, where supplemental oxygen could be considered if necessary.
Leo’s visit to Argentina and Uruguay is particularly significant, as neither country has hosted a papal visit since the late 1980s.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina, visited Peru in 2018 but never returned to his home country.
