Pope Leo XIV boarded a flight from Rome to Uruguay on Friday, November 6, 2026, launching a tour of three Latin American countries three weeks after surgery to remove a cancerous lung nodule, Vatican News and rfi.fr reported. The 71-year-old pontiff departed Rome Fiumicino airport at 7:05 a.m. aboard an Ita Airways Airbus A330-900 and is scheduled to arrive in Montevideo around 4:30 p.m. local time after a flight of more than 13 hours.
The trip marks the first papal visit to Uruguay since John Paul II traveled there in 1987 and 1988, rfi.fr noted. Leo XIV, who lived in Peru for nearly 20 years and served as bishop of Chiclayo, will spend a week in that country, returning to the city where he once ministered.
Why This Trip Matters Now
Despite still being in convalescence, the pope will preside over more than 50 events across the three countries, including open-air Masses and vigils with young people, according to rfi.fr. The visit comes as the Catholic Church faces renewed scrutiny over sexual abuse in Peru, where the advocacy group BishopAccountability published a list days before the pope’s arrival naming 77 Peruvian religious figures accused of sexual abuse.
Anne Barrett Doyle, co-founder of BishopAccountability, told correspondent Martin Chabal in Lima that known abusive clergy should no longer be able to serve and that “Pope Leo could decide that right now,” and a collective of victims has also pressed the pontiff to take firmer action on open cases that have languished in courts without convictions, though Leo XIV has promised to meet with victims during the tour without specifying the format.
The Earlier Papal Visits
John Paul II visited Uruguay in 1987 and 1988, Vatican News reported, making Leo XIV only the second pope to visit the country. Argentines had waited in vain for their own pope, Francis, to visit their homeland; the Argentine pontiff traveled to Peru in 2018 but never set foot in Argentina during his papacy, rfi.fr noted.
Pope Leo XIV departed Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport on Friday morning for his Apostolic Journey to Latin America, marking the sixth papal journey since the beginning of his pontificate. The ITA Airways aircraft carrying the Holy Father and the journalists accompanying… pic.twitter.com/TzSGaarRsk
Uruguay: A Secular Welcome
Leo XIV’s first stop is Uruguay, where he will be received Friday by President Yamandú Orsi at the airport and later at the Plaza de la Independencia in Montevideo for a welcome ceremony at 5:30 p.m., Vatican News detailed. Thousands are expected at the square, though the visit has sparked controversy: the president of the Chamber of Deputies proposed illuminating Parliament’s facade in Vatican colors, a move opposed by lawmakers from the ruling left-wing Frente Amplio coalition as an affront to the country’s secularism. In a concrete example of that secularism, December 25 is officially known in Uruguay as “Family Day” rather than Christmas.
During his three-day stay, the pope will visit a disadvantaged neighborhood in Montevideo, celebrate Masses in Paysandú and Florida, and participate in a large vigil with tens of thousands of faithful at Montevideo’s Centenario stadium on Saturday, November 7, rfi.fr correspondent Théo Conscience reported.
Tensions Await in Argentina
When Leo XIV travels to Argentina, he will meet President Javier Milei, with whom relations are described as tense, rfi.fr reported. In late October, Milei inaugurated an evangelical church, a move seen as a reminder that Catholicism faces increasing competition in Latin America from evangelical movements and more individualized forms of spirituality.
Return to Chiclayo and What Comes Next
After Uruguay, the tour continues to Argentina before concluding in Peru, where Leo XIV will spend a week and return to Chiclayo, the city where he served as bishop. The trip ends November 17, 2026, Vatican News confirmed. Among the planned encounters are meetings with Amazonian indigenous peoples and victims of sexual aggression, though the specific arrangements for the latter remain undefined as the pope arrives on the continent.
✈️ Pope Leo XIV’s flight has taken off from Rome Fiumicino. The Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru (6–17 November) begins. Arrival in Montevideo is set for 16:30 local time (20:30 Rome), per the official programme (B0736). Source: Reuters Live · Photo: Elisabetta… pic.twitter.com/BbAMCds08r
Pope’s Last Dual-Country Visit Dates Confirmed
When did a pope last visit Argentina and Uruguay before Leo XIV?
John Paul II was the last pope to visit both countries, traveling to Uruguay in 1987 and 1988 and to Argentina in the late 1980s, according to Vatican News and rfi.fr.
Why is the Peru leg of the trip personally significant for Leo XIV?
Leo XIV lived in Peru for nearly 20 years and served as bishop of Chiclayo, and he plans to return to that city during the week he spends in the country, rfi.fr reported.
What controversy has the Uruguay visit sparked?
The president of Uruguay’s Chamber of Deputies proposed illuminating Parliament in Vatican colors for the visit, which lawmakers from the ruling Frente Amplio coalition opposed as a violation of the country’s secularism, rfi.fr reported.
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