Peru Says Pope Leo Visit Still On for 11 November
RELIGION · PERU
Key Facts
- —The country Peru, where Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV worked for years as a missionary and bishop and holds Peruvian nationality.
- —Why it matters His first trip home as pope is one of the largest Catholic events in South America this year and draws pilgrims from the United States.
- —Why now On Sunday 11 October the pope announced surgery to remove a lung nodule, less than a month before he is due to fly to South America.
- —What happened Hours later, Labour Minister Juan Sheput said nothing had changed in the programme, which brings the pope to Lima on Wednesday 11 November.
- —The numbers The Holy See programme runs from 6 to 17 November, with six days in Peru across Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa.
- —What it means for you Travellers booked for the visit should keep plans in place but check cancellation terms until the Vatican speaks after the operation.
- —Still open The exact surgery date, the medical findings and whether doctors clear a long-haul tour in November.
Peru’s government said on Sunday 11 October that the Pope Leo visit planned for November still stands. It spoke hours after the pontiff announced lung surgery. Labour Minister Juan Sheput said there was “absolutely no change” to the schedule. For American Catholics, the first US-born pope’s homecoming to the country he served for years remains on the calendar for now.
Sheput spoke to reporters after a Mass for the Nation at the Las Nazarenas sanctuary in Lima. The church is home to the Lord of Miracles devotion. President Keiko Fujimori, Peru’s head of state, attended with several ministers and prayed for the pope’s recovery.
The trip is due to bring Leo XIV to Lima on Wednesday 11 November. He would then visit his former diocese of Chiclayo, Cusco and the Amazon city of Pucallpa. He then flies back to Rome.
What Lima Said on Sunday
Juan Sheput heads the Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion and is one of the government’s most visible spokesmen. He told the press that ministers had asked the Lord of Miracles to intercede for a quick recovery.
“So far there is no information of any kind, but we have every hope that the week of the visit as planned will go ahead,” he said. The state news agency Andina carried his remarks.
He added that reports from the Vatican described the operation as preventive. “So far everything stands, so far everything is on track as scheduled,” he said, asking Peruvians to pray for the pope.
Fujimori wrote on X that she sent, on behalf of the Peruvian people, “our profound affection and solidarity” to Leo XIV. She said Peruvians’ prayers were with him, “with the wish of having him back among us soon.”
Cardinal Carlos Castillo, the archbishop of Lima, presided over the Mass. Foreign Minister Carlos Espá, Defence Minister Rafael Belaúnde and Women’s Minister María Seminario also attended, Andina reported.
Peru’s Catholic bishops issued their own statement praising the pope’s “fortitude and humility” in sharing the news, Vatican News reported. They asked Catholics and people of goodwill to pray for his health.
The Vatican Timeline and the Peru Programme
Leo XIV, 71, told pilgrims after the Sunday Angelus that doctors had found a small nodule in his lung during recent checks. He said it was detected “at a very early stage” and was well localised.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week. He put the expected post-operative recovery at about one week. We reported the announcement in Pope Leo XIV to Have Lung Surgery This Week.
Before he spoke about his health, the pope greeted members of the Lord of Miracles brotherhood in Rome. “Thank you for your prayer for the pastoral visit that I will carry out in Peru,” he said, as quoted by Andina.
The programme the Holy See published on 21 September starts in Montevideo on Friday 6 November and continues to Argentina. On Wednesday 11 November he is due to fly in from Buenos Aires. He lands at the Callao air base at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday 12 November is set for Lima, including a meeting with Peru’s bishops and an evening vigil with young people. On Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November he is due in Chiclayo, the diocese he led. A helicopter trip to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba is included.
Sunday 15 November takes him to Cusco for the Angelus and to Pucallpa for a Mass with Amazon communities. On Monday 16 November he is due to say Mass at the Las Palmas air base before leaving for Rome. He would land on Tuesday 17 November.
See also Pope Leo XIV in Lima and Cusco, 11 to 16 November 2026 and Peru’s Chiclayo Expects 1.5 Million for Pope Leo Visit.
What It Means for You
For now, nothing official has moved. The Vatican has not changed the programme, and Lima says preparations continue. Pilgrims and tour groups from the United States can keep their bookings.
The sensible step is to check flexibility. Look at the change and cancellation terms on flights, hotels and packages tied to the Pope Leo visit. Check what travel insurance covers too.
Archbishop Paul Coakley leads the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. He asked American Catholics to pray for the pope and his medical team. Uruguay’s bishops said the visit to their country remains unchanged.
The next real signal will come from the Holy See Press Office after the operation, when doctors report on his recovery.
What Is Not Known
The Vatican has not announced the exact day of the surgery. It has not said what the nodule is, and that will likely depend on tests after the operation.
Nobody has said whether doctors will clear a 12-day tour with several long flights and a stop at high altitude in Cusco. Sheput’s comments reflect the government’s hope, not a medical judgment.
It is also open whether the Vatican could shorten the programme rather than cancel it. The government has given no figure on how many foreign visitors are already booked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pope Leo XIV still going to Peru in November?
As of Monday 12 October, yes. The Holy See programme has not changed, and Peru’s Labour Minister Juan Sheput said on Sunday that everything was on track.
When will the pope be in Peru?
The published programme has him arriving in Lima on Wednesday 11 November. He leaves for Rome on Monday 16 November, after Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa.
What surgery is the pope having?
He will have a small lung nodule removed. The Vatican said the operation is set for early in the week of 12 October. Recovery should take about one week.
Sources: Andina, Sheput on the papal visit, 11 October 2026; Andina, Fujimori at the Mass for the Nation; Andina, President’s message to Leo XIV; Andina, the pope’s announcement; Vatican News, surgery announcement and Bruni statement; Vatican News, bishops’ reactions; Holy See Press Office, programme of the apostolic journey, 21 September 2026; RPP, Sheput keeps hope for the visit.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief