Crux

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – The Vatican’s confirmation of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November was met with joy by most Catholics in the region, although some fear political forces may attempt to exploit the three-nation tour at a turbulent moment for several South American countries. The Holy See announced on Aug. 5 that the pontiff will travel to Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida between Nov. 6-8. Argentina will come next, with the pope visiting Córdoba, Buenos Aires and Luján. The trip will conclude in Peru, where he will travel to Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco and Pucallpa between Nov. 11-17. Uruguay, widely regarded as the Latin American country with the most stable democratic institutions, is not expected to pose political challenges for Leo XIV. His greatest challenge there will be the Church’s limited presence in society. A 2024 Latinobarómetro survey showed that only 33 percent of Uruguayans identify as Catholic. The majority of the population (52 percent) professes no religion. “It’s not only a very secular country, but one that is becoming increasingly secular, which means the Church is not sufficiently valued,” Father Miguel Suárez, a Salesian priest in Paysandú, told Crux Now. “But there is still an underlying religious culture among many families,” he added, “so the pope’s visit will be an opportunity for the Church to reach out to those who have grown distant.” “Moreover, he is a man with an important voice on international social issues. He was invited to visit us by the current administration [of President Yamandú Orsi], which is on the left,” Suárez added. Half of Uruguay’s 3.5 million people live in Montevideo. In the capital, Leo will visit Casavalle, a poor district where the Church maintains a number of social ministries. He will also visit Florida, about 60 miles from Montevideo, the city where Uruguay’s independence was declared and home to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, the country’s patroness. Paysandú, in the north of the country, has a stronger religious tradition, with a a significant Salesian presence and a history of fostering numerous priestly vocations. “We are preparing to welcome all Uruguayans, as well as visitors from Brazil and Argentina,” Suárez said. José Enrique Suárez, a 36-year-old Catholic who lives in Paysandú, is eagerly awaiting Leo’s visit. “It’s something unique for me. I wasn’t even born when Pope John Paul II visited Salto [a nearby city] 38 years ago,” Suárez told Crux Now. A professional singer, he serves his parish as both a musician and a catechist. “We have to make Catholicism more attractive to people. We need more joyful celebrations and we have to leave our parish buildings in order to evangelize,” Suárez said. The pontiff will visit Argentina between Nov. 8-11. There, he will encounter a nation deeply divided politically, currently governed by ultra-libertarian President Javier Milei, whose attacks on Pope Francis became notorious over the years. A far-right economist elected on an anti-establishment platform, Milei repeatedly criticized Francis’s positions on human rights and economic policies aimed at helping the poor, often insulting him personally. Milei, however, welcomed the confirmation of Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina. Father Francisco Olvera, an outspoken cleric widely known in the country as Padre Paco, told Crux Now he is concerned Milei will try to politicize the visit. Padre Paco is a leader of the left-wing movement of priests for the preferential option for the poor and a fierce critic of Milei’s policies. “I think it would be better if he didn’t come,” the Spanish-born Padre Paco said. “Milei will use the visit to feather his own nest,” he said, “and, of course, no matter what the pope says, it won’t change anything.” “It’s like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse,” the priest said. “We hope Pope Leo XIV will know how to handle the political situation,” he added. Francis, a native of Argentina, never visited his homeland as pope. For years, Argentines eagerly hoped he would return, and he came close to doing so when the National Eucharistic Congress was held in Tucumán in 2016, but he died in 2025 without returning to his native land. Leo’s visit will mark only the third papal visit to the country. John Paul II visited twice: in 1982, during the war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, and again in 1987. “He visited Córdoba during his second trip to Argentina, drawing a massive crowd for a liturgical celebration,” Father Luis Luján of the Archdiocese of Córdoba told Crux Now. During that Mass, St. John Paul II delivered a well-known homily opposing divorce. At least 300,000 people attended the celebration. Padre Lucho, as Luján is known, said Córdoba has a strong Catholic tradition and is home to one of the first universities in Latin America, founded by the Jesuits in 1610. “People are very active in the life of the Church. Since the papal visit was announced, excitement has grown among Catholics and even among people who had drifted away from the Church,” he said. Leo will also visit Buenos Aires and Luján, home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, Argentina’s patroness. Bishop Pedro Torres of Rafaela, who previously served as an auxiliary bishop in Córdoba, described Leo’s visit as “a gift from God.” “Pope Francis said he had come from the end of the world to become pope. Now the pope is coming to the end of the world on a mission. It is a gift that will renew our evangelizing zeal,” he told Crux Now. At a time of profound social change driven by digital technologies, Torres said Catholics must proclaim the dignity of the human person, something that requires Pope Leo’s “ecclesiology of communion.” “With Augustinian wisdom, he speaks about the need to build a civilization of love. His visit will point us in that direction,” Torres said. The final leg of the pontiff’s trip will be Peru, where he spent most of his adult life as an Augustinian missionary and later as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo. Leo also holds Peruvian citizenship. “As a newly ordained priest, I worked with him for eight years. It will be a very emotional moment for us,” Father Hugo Sánchez of Chiclayo told Crux Now. Peruvians chose their new president in a June runoff after inconclusive elections in April, narrowly choosing right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former dictator Alberto Fujimori, who ruled during the 1990s and was later convicted of corruption and human rights violations. Deep political divisions have persisted in Peru since Keiko Fujimori took office on July 28. Her first measure was to deploy the military to the streets, citing the need to ensure public security. The pope served for a few years as one of the leaders of Peru’s bishops’ conference and maintained relationships with political authorities. He has an extensive knowledge of Peru’s reality and has criticized Alberto Fujimori in the past for his crimes. “But his political views have never been part of his homilies, for example. If he makes any comments on Peru’s current situation during his visit, they will certainly be diplomatic and general in nature,” Sánchez said. The priest said he was always impressed by the pontiff’s remarkable ability to listen and to offer brief but highly appropriate responses. “His gestures of solidarity were always accompanied by concrete actions. He postponed his transfer to Rome by one year, after Pope Francis first invited him, because former President Pedro Castillo had been ousted and he wanted to remain in Peru to help,” Sánchez said. In Chiclayo, where the man now known as Pope Leo XIV served as bishop for nearly a decade, there is already a festive atmosphere. Shop owners have been decorating their businesses with banners bearing Leo’s image, and even non-Catholics have been expressing pride that the pope is Peruvian and will visit their city. “Someone close to the pontiff told us that he is deeply moved by the fact that he is returning to Chiclayo,” Sánchez said. Ximena Valdivia, one of the leaders of the local youth ministry, said “it is a great joy to be able to see him again, knowing all the responsibilities he has as the Holy Father.” “The fact that he is returning to the city where he was once our shepherd and that we will once again be able to hear his teachings fills us with excitement,” Valdivia told Crux Now. She had the opportunity to meet him again at the Vatican after he left Peru. She was there when he was created a cardinal. “All young people are eagerly awaiting the message he is coming to bring us, and we are preparing for his arrival, united in prayer,” she added. The pontiff will visit Peru’s capital, Lima, where he will meet with Keiko Fujimori, before spending two days in Chiclayo. He will also visit Cuzco and Pucallpa, concluding his South American tour on Nov. 17. “We have already begun to see many people returning to the Church after having drifted away. I believe his visit will mark a true renewal,” Sánchez concluded.

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