Pope Leo begins a 12-day, 3-country South America tour after his cancer surgery

Pope Leo begins his first South American tour since lung cancer surgery. The 12-day journey takes him to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, where he spent two decades.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7102x4734+0+0/resize/7102x4734!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbc%2F2d%2F036602604d04bdf7cf1bb565478f%2Fap26309594274044.jpg' alt='A mototaxi pass drives past a banner of Pope Leo XIV at Pimentel beach in Chiclayo, Peru, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, ahead of his planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6 to 17.'/><p>Pope Leo begins his first South American tour since lung cancer surgery. The 12-day journey takes him to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, where he spent two decades.</p><p>(Image credit: Martin Mejia)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-6026702' />