Pope Leo plans three-country South America tour

Pope Leo XIV is preparing for an 11-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, his first trip to the Americas as pope and a demanding itinerary of more than 50 events despite his recent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. The trip will combine public Masses and meetings with Indigenous communities, abuse survivors and vulnerable people with encounters with political leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei. Leo’s visit to Argentina carries particular significance: Pope John Paul II was the only previous pontiff to visit the country, making two trips in the 1980s, while Pope Francis never returned to his homeland after becoming pope. The journey is expected to unfold amid political tensions, including Milei’s past criticism of Francis and Leo’s public disagreements with the Trump administration, though Argentina’s bishops have stressed that Leo is visiting as a pastor, not a political actor. In Uruguay, where the Church’s positions on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia diverge from national policy, Leo is expected to make an appeal for the protection of life.