Pope Leo Launches 12-Day South America Tour 1 Month After Lung Surgery

3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Nov 6

31,000 km across 10 cities and 36 speeches await Leo on a 12-day trip through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru that began Friday, his first foreign tour since October 13 lung cancer surgery.
The Vatican said the 71-year-old has fully healed and needs no special medical precautions, though the itinerary is among the most demanding papal trips in decades and includes high-altitude stops in Peru.
Millions are expected to attend, including about 7 million at Argentine events, as the first U.S.-born pope returns to a region where he spent decades as a missionary and became a Peruvian citizen.
Speeches to governments in all three countries are set to address environmental destruction, arms trafficking and political instability, with a Sunday address to Argentine President Javier Milei drawing particular attention.
The tour also tests whether Leo can revive Catholicism in Latin America, where the Church faces evangelical competition, abuse-scandal fallout and shifting social attitudes.