- Published
Pope Leo XIV is beginning a lengthy trip to Latin America just three weeks after surgery for lung cancer - a tour that includes a much-anticipated "homecoming" to Peru where he was a priest for many years.
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he → publish → years
The Vatican says no extraordinary measures are being taken in relation to the Pope's health, describing him as a "71-year-old who has undergone an operation" not someone with a "permanent medical condition".
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who → say → condition
It was Leo himself who revealed last month that doctors had discovered a tumour during a routine scan.
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doctors → reveal → scan
The growth was removed along with the lower lobe of his right lung and his medical team then confirmed the cancer had not spread.
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cancer → remove → lung
At a briefing in Rome ahead of the trip, which takes in Uruguay and Argentina as well as Peru, a spokeswoman stressed that Pope Leo had "fantastic stamina" and was "extremely enthusiastic" about the schedule which he had "personally confirmed... with no changes".
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he → take → changes
Back on track
"The Vatican's message with this trip is, 'that was a short episode and now we're back on track'," Professor Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University told the BBC, pointing out that the Pope has had a busy return to work since his surgery.
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Pope → tell → surgery
"We have seen him in these last few days making speeches, audiences and so on.
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We → see → speeches
He seems in great shape.
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He → seem → shape
It incorporates multiple long-haul and local flights and covers thousands of miles from the Amazon to the Andes.
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It → incorporate → Andes
The starting point will be Uruguay, where the number of Catholics has fallen away steeply in recent years and which is getting its first Papal visit in four decades.
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which → fall → decades
Leo then heads for Argentina, homeland of Pope Francis, his predecessor.
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Leo → head → Francis
"This visit is also a homage to Francis, who didn't make it to Argentina [as pope]," says Father Fernando Laguna, the rector of Santa Maria Addolorata, Argentina's national church in Rome.
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Laguna → make → Rome
"When this visit by Pope Leo was announced, it filled all of our hearts with joy," he told the BBC.
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he → announce → BBC
"I always thought he would go, despite his illness.
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he → think → illness
I don't think he ever thought of calling it off!"
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he → think → it
The priest is installing a big screen inside the church in Rome to allow parishioners to follow all the key moments of the trip from afar.
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parishioners → instal → trip
The building is already decked out with posters declaring Pope Leo is welcome in Argentina.
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Leo → deck → Argentina
"We're waiting for you!", one proclaims.
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one → wait → you
This leg of the Pope's journey - which includes meetings with heads of state as well as religious events - could be the most politically sensitive.
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which → include → state
President Javier Milei once called Pope Francis "evil on earth" and a "communist" for promoting a doctrine of social justice to help the poor.
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Milei → call → poor
In turn, Argentina's bishops have criticised Milei's harsh austerity measures, making sweeping cuts to social spending.
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bishops → criticise → spending
But Milei has already welcomed Pope Leo, writing in a post on X that Argentina awaits "with immense joy".
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Argentina → welcome → joy
Millions are expected to turn out to greet him.
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Millions → expect → him
'Homecoming' to Peru
The highlight of the trip is undoubtedly saved for last, when Pope Leo reaches Peru - described by the Vatican as a return to his roots.
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Leo → save → roots
"He knows these streets," is how a spokeswoman put it.
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spokeswoman → know → it
Born in the US, the then Robert Prevost spent almost 20 years in Peru, on and off, and even has Peruvian citizenship.
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Prevost → bear → citizenship
That time is seen as fundamental to shaping his papacy.
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time → see → papacy
His schedule includes a return to the diocese of Chiclayo where he was ordained bishop in 2014 and remained until Francis moved him to the Vatican almost a decade later.
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Francis → include → Vatican
He will also travel to Cusco, former capital of the Inca Empire, to say Mass more than 3,000m above sea level before heading to Pucallpa in the Amazon.
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He → travel → Amazon
In all three countries, the Vatican says the Pope will have meetings with survivors of clerical sexual abuse - an issue which clouded a 2018 visit to Chile and Peru by his predecessor.
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which → say → predecessor
"This is how the papacy reconnects with Latin America after Francis, whose visits to the region were not always seamless," is how Professor Faggioli sees it.
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Faggioli → reconnect → it
He believes Pope Leo has a strong sense of the unity of the Americas as one continent.
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Leo → believe → continent
"Democracies are in trouble there, so there are so many things he can address," he suggests.
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he → be → trouble
There's no question he wants to go.
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he → be → ?
So will he travel when [President Donald] Trump is still in office?
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Trump → travel → office
I'm sure they're thinking about this."
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they → think → this
The Aporia
