(OSV News): Pope Leo XIV has embarked on the longest international journey of his pontificate, leaving Rome on November 6 for a 12-day papal visit to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru—just over three weeks after lung cancer surgery. The 71-year-old pope faced an ambitious itinerary: 14 flights, nine public Masses, seven cathedrals, and two stadium prayer vigils before his return to Rome on November 17.
This is Pope Leo’s first visit to Latin America since his election, returning to a region that shaped his pastoral mission as an Augustinian missionary and bishop in Peru. The final and longest segment will bring him back to Peru, where he served for decades as a missionary priest and later as bishop of Chiclayo.
Arriving in Uruguay on November 6, Pope Leo XIV told journalists he was “convinced that this trip had to go forward.”
Pope Leo opened his visit with a striking address that challenged the country’s policies on abortion and euthanasia while calling attention to its persistently high suicide rate. Addressing the president, Yamandú Orsi, government officials and diplomats in Montevideo’s Plaza Independencia, the pope used imagery from a monument honouring national hero José Gervasio Artigas, to reflect on human dignity at every stage of life.
Turning to illness, disability and end-of-life care, the pope said society must accompany people “until the natural end.” He also addressed suicide, saying, “Loneliness, anxiety and the loss of hope can become so profound that a person no longer sees a reason to continue living.”
He praised Uruguay’s democratic stability, renewable energy progress and commitment to healthcare and education. Acknowledging the country’s secular identity, he said religious freedom means faith should not be “confined to the private sphere.”
On November 7, celebrating Mass before an estimated 40,000 people in Paysandú, Pope Leo pointed to the example of Blessed Jacinto Vera, Uruguay’s first bishop and the famed “gaucho bishop,” who travelled the country on horseback in the 19th century spreading the Gospel through charity and missionary zeal.
“Faith,” Pope Leo said, “has been part of the life of the Uruguayan people since their earliest days, and it must be passed on to future generations with creative courage.” He encouraged Catholics to “carry forward the mission of evangelisation with enthusiasm,” urging them to be “bridges” that help others encounter Christ.
Local Catholics described living their faith as a minority experience, but many welcomed the papal visit as a source of encouragement and visibility for the Church.
Arriving in Buenos Aires on November 8, Pope Leo called on Argentina’s leaders to strengthen democracy, protect unborn life, and pursue respectful dialogue despite political divisions. Speaking in the Palacio Libertad, he honoured his predecessor, Pope Francis, a native of Buenos Aires who never returned after his 2013 election.
“My arrival in this land is personally meaningful,” Pope Leo said. “Today, as his successor in the Petrine ministry, I am in some sense retracing his steps in this country where the personal history of Pope Francis would later be joined to that of the entire Church.”
Today, as his successor in the Petrine ministry, I am in some sense retracing [Pope Francis] steps in this country where the personal history of Pope Francis would later be joined to that of the entire Church
Pope Leo XIV
He emphasised that democracy is “strengthened by the daily conduct of public life: through willingness to listen, careful use of words, patient search for agreement, and the ability to see those who think differently as fellow citizens with whom we share a common future.”
“In this way, a spirit of trust is created, one that enables a society to deal with its differences without losing sight of the things that keep it united,” he said.
“Those entrusted with public office are charged with a particularly demanding task. Authority is most authentic when it is exercised as service, when it looks beyond the immediate, and when it uses its power to promote the welfare of all,” Pope Leo added.
On November 9, Pope Leo celebrated Mass at the Monumento de los Españoles before 2.5 million people, the largest crowd of his pontificate.
“Dear families, I encourage you to take a leading role in evangelisation! The Church in Argentina needs you,” he told the crowd.
“This Church is renewed and filled with enthusiasm when families, animated by faith, pray together and live out their ministry of proclaiming the Good News,” he added.
The crowd stretched for miles down several of Buenos Aires’ wide avenues intersecting at the monument with Argentines wearing hats and sunglasses under the bright sun and enthusiastically waving Vatican and Argentine flags as the popemobile passed by.
This calling is always missionary: we must make known to others the beauty that we have come to know in Christ
Pope Leo
Pope Leo described the family as a vital source of faith and hope amidst economic uncertainty and social challenges. He recommended family prayer, Sunday Mass, mutual forgiveness, and grandparents teaching children to pray as ways to pass on the faith. Earlier, the pope visited the Don Orione “Little Cottolengo” care home, meeting residents and those with addictions, stating that a nation’s progress is measured by how it welcomes people with disabilities and special needs.
Later, on November 9, Pope Leo privately met five survivors of abuse by clergy or Church institutions, listening to their experiences before visiting the Catholic University of Argentina.
According to the Vatican, “The pope spoke with each of them individually, listening to their accounts, the painful experiences they had endured, and their suggestions for strengthening paths toward healing within the Church.” At the conclusion, Pope Leo thanked them for their “testimony of faith” and conveyed his commitment to greater protection, welcome, and accompaniment in the Church.
Pope Leo urged Argentines to embrace their missionary calling during Mass in Córdoba on November 10, highlighting the witness of Argentina’s saints as models of evangelisation and service. .
The pope said. “This calling is always missionary: we must make known to others the beauty that we have come to know in Christ.” He encouraged Catholics to follow the saints’ example, saying, “Today, it is our turn to follow the radiant example of holiness they have left with us.”
I hope and believe that the Spirit is being poured out upon Argentina today, like a new Pentecost
Father Kevin Córdoba
Later, addressing priests, religious and seminarians, he urged: “Remember that the way we live out our vocation is what evangelises. Neither age nor physical limitations can extinguish our zeal. Our strength may run out, but God’s power never will.”
Father Kevin Córdoba, a priest from southern Chabut province, said, “The pope’s presence reminds us that Christ sends us to immerse the miseries of this world in a fraternal and paternal embrace, bringing with him teachings that anchor us in the mystery of unity. I hope and believe that the Spirit is being poured out upon Argentina today, like a new Pentecost.”
After Argentina, Pope Leo XIV will travel to Peru for the final and longest leg of his trip. In Lima, he will lead a national youth vigil and meet with clergy, focusing on hope, justice, reconciliation, and service.
In Chiclayo—where he once served as bishop—he will urge the Church to remain close to the poor. His itinerary includes a meeting with Amazonian indigenous leaders to stress care for creation and respect for native cultures.
The pope’s return to Rome on November 17 will close a journey reaffirming his commitment to evangelisation, social justice, and compassionate leadership in Latin America.
