Pope Leo XIV plans to make a return visit to Peru in November. This country was the site of his missionary and episcopal service, which he carried out for nearly two decades.
Pope Leo XIV plans to make a return visit to Peru in November. This country was the site of his missionary and episcopal service, which he carried out for nearly two decades.
The Vatican announced on Wednesday that Pope Leo will undertake an extensive journey through Latin America from November 6 to 17, with him remaining in Peru from November 11 until the end of the trip.
The visit will commence in Uruguay from November 6 to 8, followed by a trip to Argentina from November 8 to 11 to visit the homeland of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The Pope's visit to Peru is likely to generate high levels of enthusiasm in the country, where many view him as one of their own.
When he was a young Augustinian monk, the future pope first arrived in Peru in 1985 as a missionary. There, he spent years developing in Chulucanas and Trujillo, engaging in social work and teaching future priests.
His time in Peru also introduced him to the ideas of liberation theology—a Christian approach originating in Peru that emphasizes the Church's care for the poor and disadvantaged.
The first Pope born in the United States later left the country. After 12 years living in Rome, where he led his religious order—the Augustinians—he returned to Peru to head the Diocese of Chiclayo, located in northwestern Peru, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.
During the November visit to Peru, the Pope will visit his former diocese of Chiclayo, as well as major cities such as the capital Lima, Cusco, and Pucallpa.
The Pope maintains close ties with Peru and remains a citizen of the country. While serving as a bishop there, he was known as a practical pastoral leader who was elected to the Peruvian Conference of Bishops and attempted to combat the issue of sexual abuse in the Church.
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Argentina holds particular significance because his predecessor, Pope Francis, was unable to travel home during his thirteen years as Pope. Pope Leo's trip to this country will be the first pilgrimage to Argentina in nearly 40 years.
While in Argentina, he will visit Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Luquene, and planned visits in Uruguay include Montevideo, Paysandú, and Florida.
The Pope's years in Latin America will help him navigate the complex political landscape of the countries he visits. Peru recently welcomed its first female president, Keiko Fujimori. She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who served from 1990 to 2000.
His government pulled the country out of economic collapse and used lethal force to defeat the insurgent group 'Shining Path' during an internal conflict that, according to the truth and reconciliation commission, claimed over 60,000 lives. He was convicted of human rights violations but later received a sports pardon in 2017.
The Pope lived in Peru during Fujimori's rule and, as Bishop of Chiclayo, questioned the pardon decision, criticizing the president's apologies as too general, and insisting that he should apologize personally for what happened.
Although the dates have not been officially confirmed, North American Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Uruguay from November 6 to 8, after which he will travel to Argentina, where he plans to stay from November 8 to 11. He will conclude his trip in Peru, where he intends to remain until November 17.
Leo XIV has a special connection with Latin America, especially Peru, where he lived and served as a missionary for two decades. During his visit to this country, the Pope plans to visit the city of Chiclayo, which was his diocese.
This is the second trip announced by the Vatican this year. Furthermore, the Pope plans to visit France in 2026 to see the UNESCO headquarters (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Since his election as Pope last May, former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevoet has already made four international apostolic journeys. The first, at the end of 2025, was to Turkey and Lebanon, focusing primarily on interfaith dialogue and peace in the Middle East.
Subsequently, the Pope visited Monaco in March of last year, and a month later undertook his longest journey to Africa to date, visiting Angola, Algeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. In June, he was in Spain from the 6th to the 12th, visiting Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands.
