Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru between November 6 and 17. The Vatican confirmed the pontiff’s tour this Wednesday, the longest since he was elected as the highest representative of the Catholic Church just over a year ago. His visit settles the debt of his predecessor, Francis, with Argentina and Uruguay, two countries he did not set foot in during his pontificate, and marks his long-awaited return to Peru, where he spent decades on pastoral mission. The three countries have announced the start of preparations to receive the head of state of the Vatican on this 12-day trip, during which he will visit about ten cities.
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Latin America is a region of special importance for the Catholic Church and where a significant portion of its faithful reside. Although the Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio crossed the Atlantic back several times since he was elected Pope in 2013, his last trip to the region took place in 2019, when he visited Panama for the XXXIV World Youth Day.
Uruguay, the country with the lowest Catholic rate on the continent — below 40% — will be the first stop. Pending the Holy See to announce the details of the trip, it is known that Leo XIV will visit Montevideo, Paysandú, and Florida. In the capital, according to local media, the pope is scheduled to hold a celebration at the Centenario Stadium.
Leo XIV has highlighted in several speeches the historical role of the Church in the social construction of Uruguay and its contributions in the field of education and the fight against poverty. He has also received Uruguayan authorities in an audience, a gesture interpreted as a sign of attention towards a nation uncommon in major papal tours. His visit will be the first by a pontiff in almost four decades, after the one made by John Paul II in 1987 and 1988.
The Argentine government has described the pope’s arrival as a “historic event,” who will visit Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Luján. “His visit deeply honors us and is a reason for celebration and reflection for the majority of Argentines,” said presidential spokesperson Adrián Ravier at a press conference this Wednesday. The government will create an interministerial team to coordinate aspects related to logistics, security, and protocol of the papal visit.
The Argentine spokesperson emphasized Javier Milei and his Cabinet’s commitment to Judeo-Christian values: “We understand that these values are the only ones capable of underpinning a just, orderly, and prosperous society.” However, Argentina’s Catholic authorities have been very critical of Milei’s economic policy over the past two years and have accused him of being insensitive to the most vulnerable victims affected by his public spending cut plan. Leo XIV’s references to the common good and social justice also clash with the privatization drive of the Argentine president.
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Leo XIV’s relationship with Argentina has been marked by Francis’s legacy. The Pope has recalled his predecessor’s figure on several occasions and in May 2025 received President Milei in an official audience and promised he would travel to Argentina, something that is now becoming a reality.
The Peruvian Pope
Leo XIV has left for last the most significant and extensive stop of the trip, the country that awaits him like a prodigal son. Robert Prevost was born in the American city of Chicago in 1955 but also holds Peruvian nationality. After being ordained a priest in 1982, he was sent to Peru as a missionary, where he served in the cities of Piura, Chulucanas, Trujillo, and Chiclayo. He was bishop in the latter, a place he will return to in mid-November. Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori said the country awaits him “with open hearts to welcome him back home.” He will visit four cities: Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa.
I receive with deep joy the confirmation that His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, will come to Peru from November 11 to 17, news that fills millions of Peruvians with hope.
His arrival will be a moment of encounter for our faith and a message of hope for our…
— Keiko Fujimori (@KeikoFujimori) August 5, 2026
Prevost led the diocese of Chiclayo from 2015 until Francis called him to Rome in 2023 to hold an important position in the Curia, as prefect of the dicastery for Bishops. In fact, in his first greeting to the world as Pope, from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he surprised by dedicating a few words in Spanish to that diocese, a sign of the deep connection he maintains with the Andean country. “And if you allow me also a word, a greeting to all and particularly to my dear diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith, and given so much, so much, to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ,” he said then.
So far, Leo XIV has visited Lebanon and Turkey, to complete a visit already scheduled by Francis before his death; he has also been to the Principality of Monaco; Spain; and four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. Before the Latin American tour, Leo XIV will visit San Marino on August 22 and France from September 25 to 28.
