From St Peter's Square to the Andes: Pope Leo XIV on the road to South America
After the General Audience on 21 October, the first since the surgery, verified updates on the apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru
Pope Leo XIV is recovering in the Vatican after his lung surgery on 13 October at the Gemelli Hospital, from which he was discharged on 17 October. At the Angelus on 18 October he said: "I will gradually resume my activities" (vatican.va).
The General Audience. On Wednesday 21 October Pope Leo XIV held the General Audience in St Peter's Square, his first since his surgery at the Gemelli Hospital on 13 October.
The schedule. The Prefecture of the Papal Household cancelled all audiences until Tuesday 20 October (statement B0807). Here we follow the Pope's gradual return to his engagements.
The Latin America trip. The apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is scheduled for 6–17 November: since the surgery the Holy See has not yet officially confirmed that it will go ahead as planned. The surgeon Stefano Margaritora told Vatican News there are no clinical reasons against the trip: this is a medical assessment, not a confirmation from the Holy See (the interview with the surgeon). The full picture in our explainer (what we know and what the risks are).
How to read this page. Here we gather official statements, comments and verified news, each with its source. News from the countries on the itinerary and press reports not confirmed by the Holy See are marked REPORT.
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Minute by minute
- Wednesday 21 October17:40Latest
General Audience: Santa Cruz (Bolivia) governor Juan Pablo Velasco greets Pope Leo XIV
21 October, 5:39 p.m. (Rome) · General Audience, on the sidelines: among those greeted by Pope Leo XIV at the end of the Audience was the governor of Bolivia's Santa Cruz department, Juan Pablo Velasco, with his wife Patricia Parada. According to El Deber, Velasco exchanged a few brief words with the Pope; the moment was captured in images shared on social media.
The Vatican stop is part of Velasco's official trip to Spain, Italy and Georgia.
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Juan Pablo Velasco saluta Papa Leone XIV all'Udienza generale (frame da social, via El Deber) / Juan Pablo Velasco greets Pope Leo XIV at the General Audience (social media frames, via El Deber) Uruguay: a Fiat Titano will be Pope Leo XIV's popemobile
21 October, 5:25 p.m. (Rome) · Uruguay: Pope Leo XIV will ride a Fiat Titano popemobile during his visit to the country, expected on November 6-8 according to Uruguayan media (the trip has not yet been officially confirmed by the Holy See Press Office). Herlander Zola dos Santos, president of Stellantis South America, announced it on LinkedIn (Milano Finanza).
The pick-up is being adapted at the Nordex plant in Montevideo: open sides, a transparent cover, a hydraulic step, a swivel seat and two extra seats; it will not be armoured. Nordex was chosen at the nuncio's invitation and on the Holy See's recommendation, and will donate the vehicle to the Church in Uruguay after the visit, spokesman Luis Radmilovich told Radio Carve.
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La Fiat Titano adattata a papamobile per la visita in Uruguay / The Fiat Titano adapted as a popemobile for the visit to Uruguay Martinelli case: Vatican Court of Cassation partly annuls conviction, orders new appeal trial
21 October, 5:24 p.m. (Rome) · Vatican justice: the Court of Cassation of Vatican City State has partly annulled the 2024 appeal ruling that sentenced priest Gabriele Martinelli to 2 years and 6 months for corruption of a minor at the St Pius X Pre-Seminary. The case goes back to an Appeals Court with different judges, Il Messaggero reports.
The court upheld the appeal of the Promoter of Justice and of the civil party (lawyer Laura Sgrò), who want the facts judged as sexual violence, and rejected Martinelli's appeal. The decision is signed by Kevin Farrell, Augusto Paolo Lojudice, Ángel Fernández Artime, Patrizia Piccialli and Chiara Minelli. The full text has not been made public.
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Argentina trip, Emilce Cuda: "the visit was never cancelled"
21 October, 4:50 p.m. (Rome) · Argentina: Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, said in Córdoba, where the Catholic University awarded her an honorary doctorate, that "the visit to Argentina was never cancelled," Cadena 3 reports. Next week, she said, cardinals and prefects from the Roman Curia and other countries will arrive in Buenos Aires "to carry out the preliminary acts ahead of a Pope's visit" (our translation). Pope Leo XIV's trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru has not yet been officially confirmed by the Holy See Press Office.
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General Audience: Augustinians show closeness to their fellow friar Pope Leo XIV
21 October, 3:41 p.m. (Rome) · About thirty Augustinian priests came to St Peter's Square for the General Audience to show their closeness to Pope Leo XIV, their fellow Augustinian, who had surgery on his right lung last week. They are attending the "Schola Augustiniana" congress at the Augustinianum until October 24.
Also there: Stanisław Dziwisz, John Paul II's former secretary, and Grzegorz Ryś, for the 45th anniversary of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, and Italy's inclusive basketball champions from Reggio Emilia, who gave the Pope their team jersey, Vatican News reports.
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Papa Leone XIV con una trentina di padri agostiniani all'Udienza generale (Vatican Media) / Pope Leo XIV with about thirty Augustinian priests at the General Audience (Vatican Media) REPORT | Nelson Castro: the Argentina trip "está absolutamente en pie"
21 October, 3:15 p.m. (Rome) · REPORT | Argentine journalist Nelson Castro told Radio Rivadavia he received information directly from Vatican spokespeople that Pope Leo XIV's November trip to Argentina "está absolutamente en pie" (our translation: is absolutely still on). There has been no new official statement from the Holy See Press Office on the trip. Source: Radio Rivadavia.
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Source: Vatican Report