The civil and ecclesiastical authorities of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru remain pending an official communication from the Vatican to know what will happen with Pope León XIV's South American tour in these three countries, scheduled for next November. The recent surgery in Rome, in which a lobe of the lung was removed due to a malignant tumor, has raised doubts about the initial schedule and opens the possibility of adjustments in his travel agenda.
In Uruguay, where León XIV's arrival is set between November 6 and 8, the Archbishop of Montevideo, Cardinal Daniel Sturla, noted this Tuesday that the definitive confirmation of the trip must "wait for what the doctors propose" and for the evolution of the treatment after the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma was confirmed. Sturla indicated that they expect a formal notification from the Holy See in the coming days and pointed out that, if the current plan is canceled, the visit could be postponed, at a minimum, until after January.
In Argentina, where the trip is scheduled from November 8 to 11, caution also prevails. The Executive of Javier Milei maintains that logistical preparations are still underway, although it acknowledges that the itinerary could be modified.
The Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva, has expressed the country's total willingness to modify the agenda and adjust to the needs of the Holy Father. "Until there is an official response from the Vatican, we continue working because it is an impressive device," the minister assured in statements to the Argentine television La Nación +. "What matters is the health of the Pope; our prayers, supplications, and greater will are directed to that," added the Argentine Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno, on the television A24.
In Peru, the Catholic hierarchy has also called for restraint in the face of speculation about the trip. The Peruvian segment, from November 11 to 17, is the longest of the itinerary and holds special significance for the Pontiff, who carried out his missionary and pastoral work in this Andean country for years.
The spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Lima, Juan José Dioses, has declared to the newspaper 'La República' that this week will be "key" to clarify the details of the trip and has asked the faithful to accompany the Pope with their prayers, emphasizing to Canal N that "his health takes precedence over all things." In this line, the Auxiliary Bishop of Lima, Guillermo Elías, has communicated to the rest of the Church in the capital the postponement of the second preparatory meeting for the arrival of León XIV, although he specified that the commission and the subcommissions in charge continue working on the already planned activities.
From Rome, the Vatican informed this Tuesday that the Pontiff was operated on "successfully," woke up without complications from the thoracic surgery, and is progressing satisfactorily at the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, where he was admitted at 1:07 PM to undergo the intervention of a pulmonary nodule.