Pope Leo XIV Visits Argentina and Peru in South American Tour

After concluding a four-day visit to Argentina, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lima, Peru, on November 11, 2026, to begin the final leg of a three-nation South American tour. In Argentina, the pontiff conducted the first papal visit to the country in 39 years, which included a Mass at the Basilica of Luján where he presented a Golden Rose to the image of the Virgin. Despite prior tensions between the Catholic hierarchy and the government over austerity policies, President Javier Milei described the Pope as the most important Argentine in history and asked for his prayers during a tearful farewell at Ezeiza airport.

Upon arriving in Peru, the Pope—a dual citizen of the United States and Peru who previously served as a missionary priest and bishop in the country—was welcomed by President Keiko Fujimori. The Vatican estimated that 3 million people lined the motorcade route in Lima. The visit comes as Peru struggles with political instability, poverty, and El Niño-related flooding threats.

Scheduled activities in Peru include a speech at Lima's cathedral and visits to Pucallpa in the Amazon and Cusco to honor Indigenous peoples. The tour also includes a Mass at the sanctuary of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo in Zaña, a center of Afro-Peruvian culture.