Pope Leo sets off for Latin America weeks after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV is embarking on an extended tour of Latin America just three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, a journey that will culminate in a keenly awaited homecoming to Peru, the country where he served as a priest for many years.

The Vatican has said no extraordinary precautions are being taken over the Pope's health, portraying him as a "71-year-old who has undergone an operation" rather than someone with a "permanent medical condition". Leo himself disclosed last month that doctors had detected a tumour during a routine scan. The growth was removed together with the lower lobe of his right lung, and his medical team subsequently confirmed the cancer had not spread.

At a briefing in Rome ahead of the trip, which also takes in Uruguay and Argentina, a spokeswoman stressed that Pope Leo had "fantastic stamina" and was "extremely enthusiastic" about an itinerary he had "personally confirmed.. with no changes".

Professor Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University told the BBC the Vatican's message with the trip is that "that was a short episode and now we're back on track", pointing to the Pope's busy return to work since the operation. "We have seen him in these last few days making speeches, audiences and so on. He seems in great shape. That was important."

The 12-day schedule would test anyone, involving multiple long-haul and local flights and covering thousands of miles from the Amazon to the Andes. The first stop is Uruguay, where the number of Catholics has fallen steeply in recent years and which is receiving its first papal visit in four decades. From there Leo travels to Argentina, the homeland of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

"This visit is also a homage to Francis, who didn't make it to Argentina [as pope]," said Father Fernando Laguna, rector of Santa Maria Addolorata, Argentina's national church in Rome. "When this visit by Pope Leo was announced, it filled all of our hearts with joy. I always thought he would go, despite his illness. I don't think he ever thought of calling it off!" The priest is installing a large screen inside the church so parishioners can follow the key moments from afar, and the building is already decked out with posters declaring Leo welcome in Argentina. "We're waiting for you!", one proclaims.

The Argentine leg, which includes meetings with heads of state alongside religious events, could prove the most politically sensitive. President Javier Milei once branded Pope Francis "evil on earth" and a "communist" for promoting a doctrine of social justice to help the poor, while Argentina's bishops have criticised Milei's harsh austerity measures and sweeping cuts to social spending. Milei has nonetheless welcomed Leo, writing on X that Argentina awaits "with immense joy". Millions are expected to turn out to greet him.

The highlight is saved for last, when Leo reaches Peru in what the Vatican describes as a return to his roots. "He knows these streets," a spokeswoman said. Born in the United States, the then Robert Prevost spent almost 20 years in Peru on and off and even holds Peruvian citizenship, a period seen as fundamental to shaping his papacy. His schedule includes a return to the diocese of Chiclayo, where he was ordained bishop in 2014 and remained until Francis moved him to the Vatican almost a decade later. He will also celebrate Mass in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, at more than 3,000 metres above sea level, before heading to Pucallpa in the Amazon.

In all three countries, the Vatican says the Pope will meet survivors of clerical sexual abuse, an issue that clouded a 2018 visit to Chile and Peru by his predecessor. "This is how the papacy reconnects with Latin America after Francis, whose visits to the region were not always seamless," Professor Faggioli said, adding that Leo has a strong sense of the unity of the Americas as one continent. "Democracies are in trouble there, so there are so many things he can address. The big question then is the United States. There's no question he wants to go. So will he travel when [President Donald] Trump is still in office? I'm sure they're thinking about this."