Pope Leo’s trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will go ahead as planned, the Vatican said on Monday, indicating that the pontiff’s recovery from lung cancer surgery is on track and that he is fit enough to make the November 6-17 journey. The announcement ends days of speculation about whether the ambitious South American tour would have to be postponed.
The 71-year-old pontiff is recovering from surgery on October 13, in which doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and diagnosed him with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The Vatican said his recovery continues and that the latest medical examinations attest to his good health and favourable clinical condition.
Key Takeaways
- The Vatican says Pope Leo is fit for the November 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, with no changes to the agenda.
- Leo is recovering from October 13 surgery in which doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma.
- The tour spans about 31,000 km across 10 cities with 36 speeches, and marks a homecoming for a pope who spent decades as a missionary in Peru.
What the Vatican said
In a statement citing Leo’s personal physician, Luigi Carbone, the Vatican said there were no contraindications that would prevent the pope from undertaking his upcoming apostolic journey. The statement pointed to his current clinical status as well as the instrumental and laboratory tests performed, and said the trip would proceed with no changes to the previously published agenda.
Leo has been returning to his duties gradually since leaving hospital. On Sunday he addressed the faithful in St Peter’s Square, but on doctor’s advice he cancelled a day visit to the central Italian town of Assisi, which had been scheduled for Tuesday. The Vatican framed that cancellation as a precaution, not a setback, and stressed that the South American programme remains intact.
I am looking forward to returning to the continent where I’ve experienced so many moments of my life.
One of the most intense trips in decades
Leo’s South America tour is set to be one of the most intense foreign trips taken by a Catholic leader in decades. The pope is scheduled to travel some 31,000 km over the 10-city tour and give 36 speeches, with a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes built into the itinerary.
The scale of the journey makes the medical clearance significant. A trip of this length, so soon after major lung surgery, would test any traveller, and the Vatican’s confirmation signals that his doctors are satisfied he can handle the pace, the altitude changes and the public schedule.
- Trip dates: November 6-17, visiting Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
- Scale: about 31,000 km, 10 cities, 36 speeches planned.
- Surgery: October 13, lower lobe of the right lung removed; lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed.
- Medical verdict: no contraindications to travelling, according to the Vatican statement.
- Assisi day visit cancelled on doctor’s advice as a precaution; the tour agenda is unchanged.
A homecoming for the first US pontiff
For Leo, the tour is also a personal homecoming. He spent decades as a missionary in Peru before his predecessor Francis called him back to Rome in 2023 and promoted him to Vatican positions, so the trip will mark a return to a region that shaped his life and ministry. As the first US pontiff, his visit carries symbolic weight for Catholics across the Americas.
In a Vatican message, Leo said: “I am looking forward to returning to the continent where I’ve experienced so many moments of my life.” The Vatican said the visit will provide an opportunity for the pope to strengthen ties with local churches, encourage the faithful and promote a message of faith, hope and peace in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
The announcement comes as other high-profile international journeys fill the news, including King Charles’s Caribbean tour, and as Christian communities elsewhere face hardship, including the deadly attacks on Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. Against that backdrop, Leo’s message of faith, hope and peace is likely to resonate well beyond the crowds that gather to see him.
What to Watch Next
All eyes now turn to November 6, when the tour begins, and to how Leo handles the demanding first days of the itinerary after his surgery. Also worth watching is whether any further schedule adjustments emerge as the departure approaches, how the crowds respond in Peru in particular, and whether the Vatican releases further health updates during the journey. For now, the message from Rome is clear: the trip is on, the agenda is unchanged, and the pope is ready to return to the continent where he spent so many moments of his life.