VATICAN CITY — Just three weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung, Pope Leo XIV has departed for a demanding 12-day, three-country journey across Latin America, marking the longest and most distant international trip of his pontificate.
The American-born pontiff’s itinerary begins in Uruguay, recognized as the most secular nation in the region, where traditional Catholic holidays carry civil designations such as “Family Day” and “Tourism Week.”
From there, the 71-year-old Pope will travel to Argentina—the homeland of his predecessor, Pope Francis—and conclude his tour in Peru, where he spent two decades serving as a missionary priest and holds dual citizenship.
Despite the physical toll of his October 13 operation, medical clearance has allowed the pontiff to proceed with the 31,000-kilometer itinerary, which includes 12 flights and two helicopter rides, alongside a high-altitude visit to Cusco, Peru, at 3,400 meters above sea level.
Vatican officials have maintained that standard medical precautions are in place without additional extraordinary measures.
“We’re not talking of a permanent condition. We’re talking about something that you heal from, because it is surgery.”
Throughout the tour, the Pope is expected to address core themes of his pontificate, including economic inequality, the rights of Indigenous communities, and the Church’s history of clerical abuse.