LATIN AMERICA — The itinerary begins in Uruguay, where the pope will be present from November 6 to 8. He is scheduled to visit Montevideo, Paysandú, and Florida during this initial leg of the journey. A detailed itinerary for the trip will be released later.

From November 8 to 11, Pope Leo XIV will be in Argentina. His schedule includes visits to Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Luján. The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires, and the country is located in Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Bank classifies Argentina as an upper middle income economy.

The final stop on the tour is Peru, where Pope Leo XIV will be from November 11 to 17. He will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa. Peru is a sovereign state in South America.

Pope Leo XIV holds deep personal ties to the region. He first arrived in Peru in 1985 at age 30. During his early years in the country, he spent formative time as a missionary in Chulucanas and Trujillo. He also taught future priests in Peru and was involved in social action there.

After spending 12 years based in Rome leading the Augustinians, he returned to Peru. Pope Francis appointed Pope Leo XIV to the Diocese of Chiclayo in 2014. The Diocese of Chiclayo is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Peru located in the northern coastal region. It has a long history of involvement in social and pastoral work.

Pope Leo XIV served as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. He became a Peruvian citizen in 2015, following his appointment to the diocese. During his tenure as bishop, he served as vice-president of the Peruvian bishops’ conference. He also attempted to tackle sexual abuse in the church while serving as a bishop in Peru.

In January 2023, Pope Leo XIV was appointed as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. This role came after his service as bishop of Chiclayo and prior to his election as pope in 2025. Upon his election, he thanked the Diocese of Chiclayo in his inaugural address. Thousands of people gathered in Chiclayo’s main square to celebrate the results of the papal conclave.

During his time as bishop, Pope Leo XIV addressed political issues in Peru. Alberto Fujimori, the former president of Peru, was convicted of human rights abuses in 2007. Fujimori received a pardon in 2017.

Pope Leo XIV questioned the decision to pardon Alberto Fujimori while serving as bishop of Chiclayo. He criticized Alberto Fujimori's apology as too generic and stated he should personally apologize.

The visit comes at a time of demographic shift for the church in the region. A 2013 Pew Research Center survey indicated that 39 percent of the world’s Catholics were located in Latin America and the Caribbean. The same survey indicated that 24 percent of the world’s Catholics were located in Europe.

By 2010, only about a quarter of all Catholics, or 24 percent, were in Europe. The largest share, 39 percent, were in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Peru has the highest proportion of Catholics in Latin America. A 2023 report by the Pew Research center found that 67 percent of its 32 million people identify as Catholic. However, broader regional trends show a decline. Polling by Latinobarometro found the share of people in Latin America identifying as Catholic fell from about 80 percent in 1995 to 54 percent in 2024.

Pope Leo XIV is the first U.S.-born pope. His upcoming travel contrasts with the patterns of his predecessor. Pope Francis's papacy lasted 12 years.

Pope Francis never returned to Argentina during his papacy, despite repeated invitations. Francis had previously served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Pope Francis made his final trip to South America in 2018, visiting Peru and Chile.

This trip marks a significant engagement with a region that remains central to the global Catholic population. Latin America and the Caribbean hold the largest share of Catholics worldwide, though identification rates have dropped significantly in recent decades. The visit allows Pope Leo XIV to return to the country where he spent much of his ecclesiastical career and gained citizenship.

The itinerary includes stops in nations with complex political and religious histories. In Peru, the pope’s past criticism of a presidential pardon shows his willingness to engage with disputed national issues. The contrast with Pope Francis, who did not visit his native Argentina during his 12-year papacy, reflects the different approaches taken by the two pontiffs regarding their home regions.

Why It Matters

This trip marks the first Latin American visit for the first U.S.-born pope, contrasting with his predecessor who never returned to Argentina during a 12-year papacy. The tour engages a region holding 39 percent of the world's Catholics, even as local identification rates have dropped from 80 percent in 1995 to 54 percent in 2024. Pope Leo XIV returns to Peru, where he holds citizenship and previously served as bishop, addressing past political controversies including the pardon of Alberto Fujimori.