Still-recovering pope will head home to Latin America and his beloved Peru for a 12-day trip

Three weeks after lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV will begin what the Vatican calls the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate: a 12-day, three-nation tour of Latin America. The U.S.-born pope, who holds Peruvian citizenship, travels first to Uruguay on Friday, then to Argentina and finally to Peru. His return to Peru is especially personal, including a stop in Cusco at 11,200 feet and a visit to Chiclayo, where he led as bishop from 2015 to 2023. Vatican officials said no special or additional medical provisions are planned. The trip, covering 19,000 miles with a dozen flights and two helicopter rides, comes only after doctors cleared him to travel.