After cancer surgery, Pope Leo embarks on Latin America trip

Pope Leo XIV is kicking off a three-nation tour of Latin America with a visit to Uruguay, three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery that had put the entire trip into question.

<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%2Fb3%2Fc6%2Faed69d4f4f5b93b8f124f571db12%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 November 6 to 17.'/><p>Pope Leo XIV is kicking off a three-nation tour of Latin America with a visit to Uruguay, three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery that had put the entire trip into question.</p><p>(Image credit: Martin Mejia)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-6032454' />