Pope Leo XIV will return to Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina in November for his longest trip to date, covering over 31,000 kilometers of flight time. The trip, scheduled from November 6-17, will be a homecoming for the U.S.-born pontiff, who also holds Peruvian citizenship and spent two decades in Peru as a priest and bishop. During his visit, he will retrace his steps as a missionary priest and meet with various groups, including those in poor neighborhoods.
The trip will begin in Uruguay, a country with a secular identity, where Pope Leo XIV will visit a parish in Casavalle, a poor neighborhood plagued by drug trafficking and gang violence. He will also mark an important Catholic feast day, associated with Uruguay's patron saint, Our Lady of the Thirty-Three. The Uruguay stop will be followed by a visit to Argentina, where government officials expect 7 million people to turn out to meet the pope.
In Argentina, Pope Leo XIV will meet with President Javier Milei, who had previously called Pope Francis "the representative of evil on Earth." Milei's government has strained relations with Argentine church leaders due to his economic policies, which prioritize austerity over social welfare. The pope will visit the Don Orione care home in Claypole, a Catholic institution that houses over 300 people with disabilities, and celebrate Mass at Buenos Aires' Monumento de los Españoles.
Pope Francis, the Argentine predecessor of Pope Leo XIV, never returned to Argentina after becoming pope, reportedly due to the country's polemics and his desire to avoid fueling them. Pope Leo XIV's visit will be seen as a significant event, particularly given the current government's policies and the church's emphasis on social justice. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno stated that there were "no fundamental differences" between the government and the Catholic Church.
The highlight of Pope Leo XIV's trip will be his return to Peru, particularly his diocese of Chiclayo, where he will celebrate Mass and revisit the churches and schools where he developed deep relationships as bishop. He will also pray at a chapel dedicated to St. Oscar Romero, a beloved figure among the working class and poor. The pope will meet with popular groups in Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes and a significant cultural destination.
In Peru, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel, a 300-hectare expanse facing the Pacific Ocean, where an estimated 1 million people are expected to gather. He will also honor Peru's Indigenous peoples by traveling to Pucallpa, in Peru's Amazon, to celebrate Mass. The trip will be seen as a significant event for the Peruvian people, particularly given the pope's history with the country.
The trip will also mark Pope Leo XIV's first Mass in Argentina and his return to his roots in Peru. The pope's visit is expected to draw large crowds and be a significant event for the countries he will visit. Key aspects of the trip include the pope's return to his diocese of Chiclayo, his meeting with President Milei, and his celebration of Mass in various locations.
Key points
- Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina from November 6-17, retracing his missionary footsteps in Peru.
- The trip will cover over 31,000 kilometers of flight time, making it the pope's longest trip to date.
- Pope Leo XIV will meet with President Javier Milei in Argentina, who has had a strained relationship with the Catholic Church due to his economic policies.
