Pope Leo’s South American Homecoming Tour

Pope Leo XIV has begun a 12-day South American tour, arriving in Uruguay three weeks after surgery for a tumor on his right lung. He told reporters he was in “fairly good shape” and encouraged people facing cancer diagnoses not to be afraid. The 71-year-old pope is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, meeting political leaders, prisoners, poor communities and people from his past. His itinerary includes public Masses and large prayer gatherings, as well as visits to neighborhoods and institutions. In Montevideo, he spoke about Uruguay’s high suicide rate and called for healthcare to be accessible to everyone, reflecting on people who cannot obtain timely diagnoses or treatment. He also urged protection of the unborn and praised Uruguay’s progress in shifting its economy toward renewable energy. The visit is the first papal trip to Uruguay in nearly four decades, though the crowds greeting Leo were comparatively sparse in the country, which is among Latin America’s most secular. The tour will continue in Argentina, the homeland of Pope Francis, and culminate in Peru, where Leo spent nearly two decades as a missionary and has described the country as one of his homes. Peru is preparing enthusiastically for his arrival, with commemorative merchandise and a large statue. His Peruvian itinerary includes Cusco, the Amazon rainforest, and personal visits connected to his former diocese in Chiclayo. The article also notes Leo’s identity as the first US-born pope, his disagreements with President Donald Trump over the Middle East war, and his historic participation in the US midterm elections by mail-in ballot.

The brief Al Jazeera Newsfeed item reports that Pope Leo XIV has begun a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It describes the journey as his return to South America after he underwent lung surgery the previous month. The headline characterizes that operation as cancer surgery, while the short article text itself specifically calls it lung surgery and provides no further medical details. The item gives no information about the Pope’s itinerary, planned events, the purpose of the tour, his recovery, or reactions from officials or the public. It is therefore a short announcement rather than a detailed account of the trip or his health. The report was published on 7 November 2026. Its central news is the start of the three-country South American visit and the timing of that return following surgery. No additional claims about the procedure or the Pope’s condition can be established from the supplied text.

Pope Leo XIV has begun a 12-day tour of Latin America, arriving in Uruguay three weeks after surgery to remove a cancerous lung tumour. Speaking to journalists travelling with him, the 71-year-old Pope said he was in “pretty good health” and “very happy” to be making the trip. He said he had never doubted the journey should go ahead, and credited his medical team. The Vatican has said the operation was successful and that the cancer has not spread. Crowds welcomed the Pope in Montevideo, where his Popemobile passed along a seafront lined with people shouting his name. In his first speech of the visit, at Plaza Independencia, he called for universal healthcare to be accessible to everyone. Reflecting on the treatment he received, he drew attention to people who cannot afford a timely diagnosis or medical care. He later prayed at Montevideo Cathedral. The tour will cover more than 20,000 miles and includes visits to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Argentina is the homeland of Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, who did not return there during his papacy. The trip’s final major stop, Peru, has personal significance for Leo: he spent many years there as a missionary and later as a bishop. The Vatican has described the visit as a “homecoming.” The Pope said he wanted to be close to people looking to the Church for a message of hope.

Pope Leo XIV said Friday that he was “proud to be an American” and glad to exercise his right to vote, after the Vatican confirmed that he had cast a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago. The U.S.-born pontiff made the remarks to reporters while traveling to Latin America. He declined to discuss the results of the U.S. midterm elections, which gave Democrats control of Congress, and instead referred to the Vatican’s statement emphasizing citizens’ right and duty to take part in democratic processes. The Vatican said Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, had voted in U.S. elections whenever eligible, including during his years serving as a missionary and bishop in Peru. He holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship. The Associated Press reported that, as Prevost, he voted in five U.S. primary elections from 2000 onward, using Democratic ballots in 2008 and 2019 and Republican ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Leo said he would have voted in Peru’s recent election but could not because absentee voting was unavailable. U.S. law permits citizens to retain their citizenship even when working for foreign governments. The article also reports on Leo’s 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, which began three weeks after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He said he had been confident the trip would proceed and credited his recovery to medical care and his faith. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his lung on Oct. 13 after finding a lung adenocarcinoma during a routine abdominal examination. The operation was successful, and he left the hospital on Oct. 17. Leo called early detection and regular checkups important and said he felt in fairly good shape, though he had not yet played tennis.

Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics in Uruguay to become “bridge builders” and share the joy of their faith during a Mass in Paysandú, on the second day of a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The visit is the first papal trip to Uruguay since 1988. Leo praised mate, the traditional herbal infusion shared from a gourd, saying it teaches people to share and be together. Thousands attended the outdoor Mass despite drizzle. One attendee, 81-year-old Gladys Soria, said she had recently undergone surgery and could barely walk, but had found the strength to make the journey. The article places the trip in the context of declining Catholic identification across Latin America: a Latinobarómetro poll found that the share of people defining themselves as Catholic fell from 80 percent to 55 percent over 30 years. It also notes that Leo began the tour only three weeks after surgery for lung cancer. In an earlier speech in Montevideo, he advocated universal healthcare, reflecting on people who lack timely diagnosis or treatment. He also called for support for people whose physical or mental suffering cannot be eased, saying they should receive care and companionship until the natural end of life. Though he did not name euthanasia directly, his remarks came amid debate over Uruguay’s legalization of assisted suicide, which the Catholic Church has strongly contested. Leo was scheduled to travel next to Argentina to meet President Javier Milei, before continuing to Peru, where he had served as a bishop and holds citizenship. His Uruguay itinerary included a visit to Casavalle, a neighborhood with the capital’s highest homicide rate, the Catholic University, and a prayer vigil at Centenario Stadium for an expected 60,000 people.

Pope Leo began a 12-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru with a call for South American countries to work together and pursue peace through negotiation and respect for law. Speaking to a crowd of at least 30,000 in Montevideo, he urged the region to model international cooperation at a time of political division. The tour—his first major return to places where he lived and worked for decades—is expected to draw very large crowds and includes 31,000 kilometres of travel, 10 cities and 36 speeches. Leo also used his first public address to argue for an economy that benefits everyone, not only the wealthy, and warned that artificial intelligence and other new technologies must not treat workers as expendable. His schedule includes meetings with governments, outdoor Masses, a visit to an Argentine prison and travel to remote Andean communities in Peru. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope’s messages would address environmental destruction, arms trafficking and political instability. The trip takes place amid strained relations between Argentina and Brazil, ideological divisions among regional leaders, and political turmoil in Peru. The article notes that a pope has not visited Argentina or Uruguay since the late 1980s. Catholic leaders hope Leo’s presence will reinvigorate the Church in a region where evangelical denominations are growing and where the Catholic Church faces challenges from changing social attitudes and the legacy of abuse scandals. Leo is scheduled to meet survivors of clergy sexual abuse. The visit is also a significant test of the 71-year-old pope’s health and stamina. He underwent surgery for localised lung adenocarcinoma in October. The Vatican said he had healed completely and required no special precautions; doctors said his recovery appeared sound, while experts noted the demanding schedule and high-altitude travel could require rest or supplemental oxygen. Leo said he felt in good shape and had never doubted he would make the trip.

Pope Leo urged South American countries to bridge their divides and cooperate on shared regional challenges during his first address in Uruguay. On Nov 7, he travelled about 378km from Montevideo to Paysandú, a riverside economic hub in the country’s north-west, where he became the first pope to visit. Crowds had waited overnight in heavy rain, which eased shortly before his arrival. At an event on the Uruguay-Argentina border, Leo called on people in Latin America to treat one another with “justice, honesty and faithfulness.” The visit is the first stop of a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, running through Nov 17. The Vatican has described the trip as a “homecoming”: Leo served as a missionary in Peru for decades and became a Peruvian citizen. The 71-year-old, the first US-born pope, is undertaking an unusually demanding foreign trip less than a month after lung cancer surgery. His itinerary includes discussion of environmental destruction, arms trafficking and political instability. In an address to Uruguay’s government on Nov 6, he urged countries in the region to address problems together and provide an example of international cooperation. After returning to Montevideo for events including a prayer vigil expected to draw about 60,000 young people, Leo is due to travel to Argentina on Nov 8. There, he will meet and address President Javier Milei, a libertarian described as a close ally of US President Donald Trump. Trump had criticised Leo earlier in the year after the pope spoke against the Iran war.

The France 24 report says Pope Francis began a three-nation tour of Latin America three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer. His first stop was Uruguay, described in the report as the continent’s most secular country. During the visit, the Pope urged healthcare for all. The brief text also notes that he said he felt better than he looked. Jack Pownall is credited as the reporter. The report’s focus is the intersection of the Pope’s public-health message, his recent medical treatment, and his visit to Uruguay. The healthcare appeal is presented as the central news point, while the references to his surgery and his comment about his condition provide context for the tour. The article excerpt does not give details about the healthcare proposal, the events at which he spoke, or reactions from Uruguayan officials or the public. It also does not describe the other two stops on the tour. The available text is a short video-news description rather than a full account, so further conclusions about the Pope’s plans or the reception of his message are not supported by the excerpt.