Pope Leo XIV begins 12-day South American trip after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV has left Rome for a 12-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, three weeks after surgery for lung cancer. The trip runs from 6 to 17 November and includes stops in ten cities, according to Vatican News.

The plane carrying the Pope and accompanying journalists departed Rome’s Fiumicino airport at 7.05am on Friday. He was due to arrive in Montevideo later that day for an official welcome and meetings with Uruguayan officials.

The journey also takes Leo back to Peru, where he lived for decades. His itinerary includes Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján in Argentina, followed by Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa in Peru.

Nieuws.nl reported that the Vatican said this week Leo had fully recovered and would need no special precautions. Before the trip, doctors had said there was no medical reason he could not travel, while he cancelled a planned visit to Assisi during his recovery. Pope Leo’s South American trip had remained on the schedule after his surgery.

The Vatican says Leo is expected to make about a dozen flights and deliver nearly 40 addresses in Spanish during the visit.