LEO XIV RETURNS TO SOUTH AMERICA, WITH A STOP IN FRANCIS’S CITY

Before he became Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop of Buenos Aires. The city’s cathedral still holds vestments and personal belongings from those years. That’s where Leo XIV will pay tribute to him. Among the stops on a three-country trip, this one is worth lingering over. The Pope is visiting the city where his predecessor lived and worked long before the world called him Francis.

From Uruguay to Peru

Leo leaves on Friday 6 November for Montevideo. He will also visit Paysandú and Florida, where he celebrates Mass on Sunday 8 before travelling to Argentina. Buenos Aires, Córdoba and the shrine at Luján are on the itinerary. On 11 November the visit continues in Peru, with stops in Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco and Pucallpa. The return is scheduled for the 17th.

Chiclayo feels like home. Robert Prevost was bishop there before moving to Rome. Alongside the crowded squares, picture the people who knew him when his name belonged to the life of the diocese, before it made headlines around the world.

Travelling after surgery

Leo XIV underwent lung surgery on 13 October. On 26 October the Holy See Press Office said recovery was progressing as expected and that post-operative tests showed no further cancer treatment was needed. He gradually resumed his duties, making time for rest. At the 3 November briefing, Matteo Bruni confirmed that the flight would have its usual medical support.

One scene we’ll be looking out for is in Bergoglio’s cathedral. And then there’s Chiclayo. Two cities that each knew, in their own way, the man Rome would call to be Pope.