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Pope Leo XIV touched down in Montevideo to begin his tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on November 6 2026, with Vatican spokespeople confirming that the 71-year-old requires only standard medical support despite undergoing lung cancer surgery last month. The pontiff told reporters aboard the papal plane that he had never doubted the trip would proceed and felt in fairly good shape after the operation, which removed the lower lobe of his right lung along with a localised tumour. According to a briefing reported by Reuters, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated that the pope is in good health and that his doctors are very confident in his condition. Medical staff accompanying the delegation will include the ordinary team of doctors and nurses that travels with the pope, with an ambulance also on hand but no special equipment deployed.
The surgery took place on October 13 2026 at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after a routine scan detected the growth, a procedure that his medical team later confirmed had fully addressed the adenocarcinoma with no spread of the disease. A statement from the Holy See Press Office cited by CNN indicated that examinations showed no clinical reasons preventing the journey, while papal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone attested to a favourable recovery. Vatican communications chief Maria Montserrat Alvarado, speaking at a pre-trip briefing covered by OSV News, highlighted the pope’s fantastic stamina, noting how he had sung during a recent Mass with strong lungs. Doctors consulted by Reuters assessed that the risk of complications such as blood clots or collapsed lung remains low given the successful expansion of the remaining lung tissue.
The itinerary released by the Vatican and detailed across multiple outlets including the BBC spans 12 days with 14 flights, two helicopter transfers and travel covering more than 31,000 kilometres while incorporating 36 speeches and around 50 events. It begins with stops in three Uruguayan cities through November 8 before moving to Argentina for three days and concluding with six days in Peru, where the pope served as a missionary priest and later as bishop of Chiclayo. The schedule includes a visit to Cusco at an altitude above 11,000 feet, where oxygen levels are 35 percent lower than at sea level, as well as multiple public Masses, cathedral visits and prayer vigils in stadiums. Organisers in Peru have arranged a specialised ambulance and are considering a helicopter for high-altitude areas, according to a church official quoted in Wanted in Rome.
This journey marks the first papal visit to Latin America in Pope Leo’s pontificate and carries particular significance for Peru, the country that granted him citizenship and where he spent years as a priest before his election. The BBC noted that the tour represents a homecoming to the region that shaped his early ministry, while also reaching Uruguay for the first time in four decades amid a steep decline in the number of Catholics there. In remarks reported by The Advertiser, the pope used his initial public appearance in Montevideo’s Plaza Independencia to lament the country’s high suicide rate and advocate for healthcare accessible to all, drawing on his own recent experience to highlight the need for timely diagnosis. The trip will see him engage with political leaders, prisoners, the poor and former colleagues from his time in the region.
Pulmonologist Dr. Matthew Triplette from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center told CNN that while risks exist, they appear manageable with precautions such as low-dose blood thinners or compression devices during long flights. A Reuters assessment of medical expert views reinforced that the Vatican’s decision to clear the pope for travel without alterations signals full healing of surgical wounds and no infection concerns. The pontiff himself, in comments carried by Moneycontrol, advised those facing cancer diagnoses not to be afraid and to pursue regular health checks, adding that his successful treatment reinforced his belief in healthcare as a human right. These statements came as he expressed gratitude for the prayers received during recovery.
Vatican officials have emphasised that the pope personally reviewed and confirmed the full demanding schedule with no modifications, describing him as extremely enthusiastic about the programme. Professor Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University told the BBC that the trip signals a return to normal operations following what the Vatican framed as a short health episode. Coverage from The Tablet quoted Alvarado observing the pope’s recent activities, including audiences and speeches, as evidence of his strong recovery. The journey concludes on November 17 with the pope’s return from Peru to Rome after what outlets across Reuters, CNN and OSV News have described as one of the most intense overseas papal tours in decades.
