Pope Leo XIV lands in Uruguay three weeks after lung cancer surgery, calling trip a 'homecoming'

Pope Leo XIV touched down in Uruguay on Friday afternoon, launching a 12-day, three-nation tour of South America less than a month after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung — a trip so physically demanding that even some inside the Vatican had wondered whether it would happen at all.

I know some people were doubtful about this trip taking place. I confess that from the first day I had no doubt. I was convinced that this trip had to go forward and very happy to say, praise the Lord and thanks to wonderful medical assistants, I am here today, I think, in fairly good shape.— Pope Leo XIV, speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight

The 71-year-old Chicago-born pontiff, who also holds Peruvian citizenship, departed Rome's Fiumicino Airport early Friday. No pope has set foot in Uruguay since 1988, making Leo's stop there the country's first papal visit in nearly four decades. From there, Leo travels to Argentina — its first papal visit since 1987 — before spending six days in Peru, where he lived for decades and served as bishop of Chiclayo until 2023.

The itinerary is formidable by any measure: roughly 19,000 miles, a dozen flights, two helicopter rides to high altitudes in the Peruvian Andes, nine Masses and 36 speeches across 10 cities in 12 days. The Vatican's own spokesperson described it as one of the most grueling trips undertaken by a Catholic leader in decades.

Leo considers the tour a 'homecoming to places where he spent a long time and to which he feels closely connected.'— Matteo Bruni, Vatican spokesperson

The surgery that cast doubt over the journey took place on October 13, when doctors removed a malignant nodule along with the lower lobe of Leo's right lung. Physicians identified the cancer as lung adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent type of lung cancer, after a routine scan brought it to light. Subsequent tests confirmed the cancer was localized and that no further treatment would be required. Leo was discharged four days later, on October 17, and gradually resumed his Vatican duties.

On October 26, the pope's personal physician, Luigi Carbone, formally cleared him for travel, stating that based on Leo's clinical condition and the results of diagnostic and laboratory tests, there were no medical contraindications to the journey. The Vatican confirmed the full itinerary would proceed without changes. One earlier signal of caution: the Vatican had cancelled a planned helicopter trip to Assisi in late October on doctors' advice, citing the need to protect his recovery from thoracic surgery.

I am looking forward to returning to the continent where I've experienced so many moments of my life. May this journey be an occasion for us to open our hearts to one another, strengthen our communion as brothers and sisters, and renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel with joy.— Pope Leo XIV, in a message posted to his X account on October 26

When asked aboard the flight for advice to others facing cancer, Leo was direct: "Not to be afraid, early detection is obviously the best way to go, regular check ups and take care of yourself," according to NBC News. He also credited "trust in God, good doctors, good surgeons, and, overall, a healthy lifestyle" for his swift recovery.

Leo's Uruguayan itinerary — in the region's most secular nation, where regular Mass attendance is limited to a small share of the population — calls for a sit-down with President Yamandú Orsi in Montevideo, Masses in Paysandú and Florida, and a prayer vigil at Centenario Stadium. Uruguay became the first country in Latin America to approve assisted dying legislation in October 2025, a measure the Catholic Church opposed.

Leo arrives in Argentina on November 8 for a three-day stay, where he is expected to meet with President Javier Milei. The Argentine leg of the trip will take him to Masses in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, as well as gatherings with young people and stops at social service organizations and correctional facilities. Leo's immediate predecessor, Pope Francis — himself Argentine and the first Latin American pope — declined numerous invitations to return to his homeland during his pontificate.

The largest crowds of the tour are expected during the final six-day leg in Peru, from November 11 to 16, where Leo is widely regarded as a beloved national figure. He will visit Lima, Callao, Chiclayo — the diocese where he was ordained bishop in 2014 — Cajamarca, Cusco and Pucallpa, with events including gatherings with Amazonian communities. A concluding Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima will bring the tour to a close before Leo heads back to Rome.

Among the broader themes Leo plans to take up, the Vatican said, are environmental destruction, arms trafficking and regional political instability; he will also hold several meetings with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, though further details on those sessions had not yet been released. Vatican communications chief Maria Montserrat Alvarado said Leo was "so excited" to make the trip despite the physical demands it would place on him.

At his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, Leo told pilgrims he was hoping to "strengthen the faith, renew hope" and "rekindle the fire of charity" during the journey. He had also told reporters on the plane that he was proud to be American and to exercise his right to vote — a reference to his status as the first pope to vote in a U.S. election.

Why it matters — The trip tests whether a 71-year-old pope, barely three weeks out of lung cancer surgery, can sustain one of the most physically demanding papal foreign tours in decades — and sets the tone for his leadership across a region home to the world's largest Catholic population.

Reported by nbcnews.com, latimes.com, ncronline.org, independent.co.uk, americamagazine.org, upi.com