Pope Leo XIV to Tour Peru, Argentina and Uruguay
Religion: The Americas
Key Facts
—Journey. The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will make an Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, 2026, his first trip to Latin America as pope.
—Uruguay. The pope is due to visit Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida from November 6 to 8.
—Argentina. He will travel to Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján from November 8 to 11, the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly 40 years.
—Peru. The journey concludes in Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa from November 11 to 17, in the country where Leo served for decades as a missionary and bishop.
—Program. The Vatican said the detailed liturgical and event schedule would be published by the Holy See Press Office in the coming weeks.
Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, 2026, the Vatican announced, a roughly 12-day journey that marks the first papal trip to Argentina in nearly four decades.
A 12-Day, Three-Country Journey
The Vatican confirmed on August 5 that Pope Leo XIV will travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, 2026. It is the pontiff’s first Apostolic Journey to Latin America since his election, spanning three South American nations over roughly 12 days.
According to the Vatican, the pope will begin in Uruguay from November 6 to 8, visiting Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida, before continuing to Argentina.
The itinerary then moves to Argentina from November 8 to 11, taking in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján, and closes with the longest leg in Peru, from November 11 to 17, with stops in Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa.
The First Papal Visit to Argentina in Nearly 40 Years
The Argentine leg carries particular weight. It will be the first visit by a pope to Argentina in nearly four decades; the last was John Paul II, who toured the country in April 1987, according to Vatican records and Argentine media.
Notably, Pope Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires and led the Church from 2013 until 2025, never returned to his homeland as pope. That absence made the prospect of a papal visit a recurring topic in Argentina for years.
Leo XIV’s stops in Luján, home to one of the country’s most important Marian shrines, and in Córdoba point to a program built around major centers of Argentine Catholic devotion.
Peru, the Pope’s Adopted Home
The Peruvian portion of the trip is the longest and, for Leo XIV, the most personal. Before his election, the US-born pope spent decades in Peru, first arriving as a missionary in the 1980s and later serving as bishop of Chiclayo. He holds Peruvian citizenship.
The itinerary reflects that history. Alongside the capital, Lima, the pope will visit Chiclayo, where he led the diocese, as well as Cusco in the Andes and Pucallpa in the Amazon region, reaching several distinct parts of the country.
Peruvian church officials had signaled for weeks that a visit was likely, and the confirmed dates turn long-standing expectation into a fixed plan.
What the Trip Signals
The choice of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru for a first Latin American journey underscores the region’s importance to the global Church, which counts a large share of the world’s Catholics in Latin America.
For Leo XIV, the tour blends pastoral outreach with personal connection, pairing his adopted Peru with two Southern Cone nations that have not hosted a pope in many years. The visit to Argentina, in particular, fills a gap left open through the entire Francis papacy.
The Vatican said additional details, including liturgical celebrations, meetings and events at each stop, would be announced by the Holy See Press Office in the coming weeks.
A Trip Long in the Making
Speculation about a papal visit to Peru had circulated since Leo XIV’s election, given his deep ties there, and a return to his former diocese had been widely anticipated. The newly announced schedule broadens that into a full three-country tour.
Planning for papal journeys typically involves close coordination with national governments and local churches on security, logistics and program. With dates now set for November, authorities in all three countries will begin detailed preparations.
For the region’s Catholics, the journey offers a rare chance to see a reigning pope in person, and for Argentina it ends a wait that has stretched across nearly two generations of churchgoers.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Pope Leo XIV visit Latin America?
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will make an Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, 2026, his first trip to Latin America as pope.
Why is the visit to Argentina significant?
It will be the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly 40 years. The last was John Paul II in April 1987, and Pope Francis, an Argentine, never returned to the country as pope during his 2013-2025 pontificate.
What is Pope Leo XIV’s connection to Peru?
Before his election, the US-born pope spent decades in Peru, arriving as a missionary in the 1980s and later serving as bishop of Chiclayo. He holds Peruvian citizenship, and Peru is the longest leg of the November tour.
Sources
Connected Coverage
More from The Rio Times on Pope Leo XIV, Peru and the wider region.
Sources: Vatican News, NBC News, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, America Magazine, Buenos Aires Herald.
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