Pope Leo begins major Latin America tour three weeks after lung surgery

Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on an extensive tour of Latin America, just three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer. The 12-day visit will include a much-awaited return to Peru, where he spent several years serving as a priest.The Vatican has maintained that no special medical arrangements have been made for the trip, describing the pontiff as a “71-year-old who has undergone an operation” rather than someone living with a “permanent medical condition”.Pope Leo disclosed last month that doctors had detected a tumour during a routine medical scan. Surgeons removed the growth along with the lower lobe of his right lung, with his medical team subsequently confirming that the cancer had not spread.According to the BBC report, speaking to reporters in Rome ahead of the visit, which will cover Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, a Vatican spokeswoman said the Pope had “fantastic stamina” and was “extremely enthusiastic” about the programme. She added that he had personally approved the entire schedule without making any changes.Back on trackProfessor Massimo Faggioli of Villanova university that the Vatican was using the visit to signal that the Pope's health setback had been temporary and that he had resumed his regular responsibilities.“The Vatican's message with this trip is, 'that was a short episode and now we're back on track',” he said, noting that Leo had returned to a demanding schedule of speeches and public audiences following his surgery.The professor added that the Pope appeared to be in good health, with his recent public engagements reinforcing that impression.However, the 12-day tour is expected to be physically demanding, involving several long-distance and domestic flights and covering thousands of miles across diverse landscapes, from the Amazon rainforest to the Andes.Uruguay will be the first stop. The country has witnessed a significant decline in its Catholic population in recent years and is set to welcome a Pope for the first time in 40 years.From there, Leo will travel to Argentina, the birthplace of his predecessor, Pope Francis.Father Fernando Laguna, rector of Santa Maria Addolorata, Argentina's national church in Rome, described the visit as a tribute to Francis, who never travelled to his homeland as pontiff.He told the BBC that the announcement had brought immense happiness to the Argentine community and said he had always believed Leo would make the journey despite his health condition.To enable parishioners to follow the visit, the priest is arranging a large screen inside the Rome church. The building has also been decorated with posters welcoming the pontiff, including one that reads, “We're waiting for you!”The Argentina leg, featuring meetings with political leaders and religious engagements, could prove to be the most politically sensitive part of the tour.President Javier Milei had previously attacked Pope Francis, describing him as “evil on earth” and a “communist” over his advocacy of social justice and support for the poor. Argentina's Catholic bishops, meanwhile, have criticised Milei's stringent austerity policies and extensive reductions in social welfare spending.Despite the earlier tensions, Milei has already extended a warm welcome to Pope Leo. In a post on X, the Argentine president said the country was awaiting his arrival with “immense joy”. Millions of people are expected to gather to welcome the pontiff.'Homecoming' to PeruThe final leg of the tour, in Peru, is expected to be its most significant, with the Vatican describing it as a return to the Pope's roots.“He knows these streets,” a Vatican spokeswoman said.Although born in the United States, Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, spent nearly two decades in Peru at different stages of his life. He also holds Peruvian citizenship. His experiences in the country are widely regarded as having played an important role in shaping his approach to the papacy.His itinerary includes a visit to the diocese of Chiclayo, where he was ordained bishop in 2014 and served until Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican nearly a decade later.The pontiff will also travel to Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, where he is scheduled to celebrate Mass at an altitude of more than 3,000 metres. His journey will then take him to Pucallpa in the Amazon region.During the visits to all three countries, the Pope is also expected to meet survivors of clerical sexual abuse. The issue had cast a shadow over Pope Francis's 2018 visit to Chile and Peru.Professor Faggioli described the tour as an opportunity for the papacy to rebuild and strengthen its relationship with Latin America following Francis's sometimes challenging engagements with the region.He also believes Leo has a strong understanding of the Americas as a unified continent, giving him an opportunity to address wider political and social concerns.With democratic institutions facing growing challenges across the region, the professor said there were several important issues the pontiff could raise during his journey.Another major question concerns a possible visit to the United States. Faggioli believes Leo is keen to travel there, although the timing could depend on the political situation and whether Donald Trump remains president.He said the Vatican was likely considering the implications of such a visit.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.