Vatican delegation to arrive in Argentina as Pope’s visit remains uncertain

A Vatican delegation will arrive in Argentina about a week before Pope Leo XIV’s scheduled visit to the country from November 8 to 11, a spokesperson at the Argentine Episcopal Conference confirmed to the Herald.

Uncertainty remains over whether the pope will be able to carry out his planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru following surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his lung. 

However, the delegation’s visit suggests preparations are proceeding as scheduled.

The Church representative said the delegation will visit all the locations where the pope is expected to appear, including Buenos Aires City, the cities of Claypole and Lujn in Buenos Aires province, and Crdoba. 

Preparations in Argentina are proceeding according to plan, the spokesperson added.

This would be the delegation’s second and final visit before the pope’s trip. Peruvian Foreign Minister Carlos Esp also confirmed this week that the Vatican team will visit his country, where the pope is expected to travel after he leaves Argentina, to oversee preparations.

Pope Leo is expected to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, presiding over several religious services and visiting some of the countries’ most important Catholic landmarks.

Public appearances Pope Leo has shown signs of good health in recent days. On Wednesday, he led his first General Audience a weekly gathering in St. Peter’s Square since undergoing surgery. 

He also took a ride in the popemobile, greeting the faithful and blessing babies.

“The first thing I would like to say to you is: thank you! Thank you for the support of your prayers. Thanks be to God for His generosity,” the pontiff said. “Let us all renew our trust in the goodness and mercy of God.”

Leo was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday after five days in the hospital following an operation on October 13 in which a section of his right lung was removed.

His first public appearance since the operation had been last Sunday, when he recited the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square. 

Will he be able to travel? The Catholic community is optimistic that Pope Leo will be able to make his highly anticipated South American trip, particularly to Uruguay and Argentina, two destinations that the late Pope Francis an Argentine never visited during his papacy.

Although the Vatican has not reconfirmed that Leo will travel, his agenda remains unchanged, and preparations have continued as normal following the procedure to remove a pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who operated on the pope, told Vatican News on Saturday that the surgery was routine and that the pontiff would make a full recovery within 10 days.

“I would say there are no clinical reasons why this visit should not take place,” he said of the trip to South America.

Leo XIV is currently recovering from surgery and will remain at the Vatican this week rather than travel to his residence in Castel Gandolfo.