The Holy Father has begun a 12-day visit to three South American countries, bringing a message of faith, hope and fraternity to local communities and the wider Church.
Pope Leo XIV departed Rome on Friday 6 November for his sixth Apostolic Journey since the beginning of his pontificate, travelling to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
The papal aircraft, carrying the Holy Father and the journalists accompanying him, took off from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport at 7.05am, bound for Montevideo, Uruguay. The journey, which runs until 17 November, will see Pope Leo visit ten cities across the three countries, with a programme of Masses, prayer gatherings, meetings with Church communities and encounters with political and civic leaders.
The visit has particular significance for the Holy Father, especially in Peru, where he spent many years serving as a missionary and bishop before his election as Pope.
A journey of faith across three countries
The first stage of the journey takes Pope Leo to Uruguay, where he will visit Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida. His programme includes meetings with civil authorities, a celebration of Vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, religious and seminarians, and a prayer vigil with the local community.
The visit to Uruguay is especially noteworthy as it is the first papal visit to the country since St John Paul II travelled there in 1988. The journey’s theme for Uruguay, “I bring you news of great joy”, reflects the continuing call to share the Gospel with all people.
On 8 November, the Holy Father will travel to Argentina, visiting Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján. The visit will carry particular historical and spiritual significance as Argentina was the homeland of Pope Francis, who, despite his Argentine roots, was unable to make an Apostolic Journey there during his pontificate. Pope Leo’s visit will be the first papal visit to Argentina since St John Paul II travelled there in 1987.
Among the planned encounters are a visit to residents and staff at a centre run by the Little Work of Divine Providence in Claypole, a meeting with leaders of Christian communities and other religious traditions, and a vigil with young people. The Holy Father will also celebrate Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Luján, one of Argentina’s most important places of Marian devotion.
The Argentine stage has the theme “Welcome everyone. Go and proclaim”, highlighting the Church’s call to welcome others and share the joy of the Gospel.
A special return to Peru
The final and longest stage of the journey will take Pope Leo to Peru, where he will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa.
Peru holds a special place in the Pope’s life and ministry. An Augustinian missionary, he first arrived in the country in 1985 and served in various pastoral and formation roles. He later became Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015, acquiring Peruvian citizenship that same year. His return will therefore be a particularly personal moment, allowing him to reconnect with communities and people among whom he served for many years.
His programme in Peru includes meetings with bishops, priests, religious and pastoral workers, a prayer vigil with young people and university students, and encounters with representatives of indigenous and Amazonian communities.
One particularly significant occasion will take place on 14 November, when the Pope will join the Catholic community in Chiclayo for the closing of the Jubilee Year of St Turibius of Mogrovejo. The sixteenth-century saint, who served as Archbishop of Lima, is remembered for his missionary work and commitment to the people of Peru. The Pope will also celebrate Mass in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba and take part in the rite of the coronation of the Immaculate Virgin at the Cathedral of Saint Mary.
The following day, he will travel to Cusco and Pucallpa, where he will meet representatives of popular devotion, missionaries and people from the Amazonian communities.
The theme for the Peruvian stage, “Let us open our hearts”, invites people to renewed openness to God, to one another and to the future.
A call to prayer and fraternity
Across the three countries, Pope Leo’s programme places considerable emphasis on meeting people from all walks of life, including young people, families, those experiencing poverty and vulnerability, Church communities and representatives of different religious traditions.
The Holy Father is also scheduled to visit a federal prison in Buenos Aires and a shelter for older people in Lima, reflecting the Church’s concern for those who can too easily be overlooked or marginalised.
During the 12-day journey, the Pope is expected to deliver almost 40 addresses, predominantly in Spanish, and undertake a demanding programme of travel and pastoral encounters.
As he left Italian territory, Pope Leo sent a telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, entrusting the hopes for peace and fraternity of the peoples he is visiting to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints who proclaimed the Gospel of charity.
He wrote: “As I prepare to embark on my Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, I entrust the hopes for peace and brotherhood of those peoples to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the Saints who proclaimed to them the Gospel of charity.”
The journey offers an opportunity for the universal Church to accompany the people of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in prayer, as the Holy Father brings a message of encouragement, unity and Christian hope to communities across South America.
