Pope Leo XIV begins 12-day trip after lung cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV, fresh from lung cancer surgery, has just begun a meaningful 12-day trip across Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.
At 71, he's returning to South America, especially Peru, where he served for almost two decades as a missionary, meeting with leaders, reconnecting with old friends, and reaching out to people facing tough times.
Vatican: Pope needs no special precautions
The Vatican says the pope doesn't need special medical precautions for this journey.
He starts in Uruguay to talk about issues like inequality and mental health, with a major security team of 5,000 police and 1,000 soldiers keeping things safe.
After that it's on to Argentina, the homeland of his predecessor, Pope Francis, and then Peru, where anticipation is high since it played such a big part in his early work, with visits to political leaders, prisoners, the poor, as well as old friends.