Pope Leo to travel to South America despite surgery
The Vatican says the pope has recovered sufficiently for his planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
.jpg){kind=link}
Pope Leo XIV will travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November. The Vatican confirmed on Monday that, according to doctors, his recovery after surgery for lung cancer is progressing well and that there is no medical objection to the trip.
The confirmation came after the pope underwent surgery for lung cancer. According to the Vatican, examinations showed lung adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer that develops in glandular cells. The Vatican said last week that the condition was localised and that no further oncological treatment was needed.
The Vatican provided a medical briefing on Monday. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal doctor, said that Leo was in a favourable clinical condition. According to the Vatican, he continues to follow his doctors’ recommendations and is gradually resuming his duties.
The trip will go ahead according to the programme published earlier. Leo will visit three countries where he previously lived or worked, and will meet Catholic communities and government representatives there, among others. The Vatican presents the journey as an opportunity to strengthen ties with local churches and convey messages about faith, hope and peace.
The trip is taking place while the pope is still recovering. A planned visit to Assisi was cancelled on doctors’ advice. According to the Vatican, that decision is separate from the assessment of the longer trip in November.
Reuters reported on Monday that Leo’s medical team considered the South America trip feasible. According to the Vatican, the pope will continue to adjust his duties to his recovery in the coming period and build in periods of rest.
The confirmation means that the trip will go ahead, but it does not guarantee that the programme will remain unchanged in all circumstances. The Vatican may still adjust the schedule if new medical or practical circumstances give cause to do so.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central claims are based on a Vatican statement of 26 October and a separate Reuters report from the same day. The medical information is limited to what the Vatican and the doctor named have made public.
- confirmed The pope will travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November. — Confirmed by Vatican News and Reuters. source
- confirmed Pope Leo XIV previously underwent surgery for lung cancer. — Confirmed in the Vatican’s medical briefing and the Reuters report. source
- confirmed The Vatican says that no further oncological treatment is needed. — Mentioned in the statement summarised by Vatican News. source
- confirmed A visit to Assisi was cancelled on medical advice. — Reported by Reuters. source
Editor's note
The confirmation of the trip and the medical assessment come from a Vatican statement and are independently reported by Reuters. The final travel schedule may still change; no additional medical information about the pope’s precise capacity has been made public.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „paus leo xiv”
- AD — „paus leo xiv”
- de Volkskrant — „paus leo xiv”