Buenos Aires, Argentina – Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina, planned for November 8 to 11, remains on the official calendars of both the Vatican and the Argentine government despite the pontiff’s recent health scare.
After undergoing surgery on October 13 to remove a nodule from his right lung, questions about the Pope’s planned visits to Uruguay, Peru, and Argentina swirled in Argentina, a country where 66% of people are Catholic.
Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who operated on the Pope, told Vatican News, the Vatican’s news outlet, that “There are no clinical reasons why this trip cannot take place” … Since almost a week has already passed, I believe the Pope will be fully recovered within another ten days or so”, he said.
In Argentina, Archbishop Jorge Eduardo Scheinig of Luján confirmed that the Pope’s visit remains on track and that preparations to welcome him continue. In radio interviews, he said the local Church had received no specific instructions indicating a change to the schedule.
Pope Leo XIV’s day-by-day schedule in Argentina
According to the official itinerary released by the Vatican, Leo XIV is scheduled to arrive at Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires from Montevideo at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. His first stop, at 5:00 p.m., will be the General San Martín Monument in Plaza San Martín.
He will then attend a welcome ceremony at Casa Rosada, Argentina’s presidential palace, before meeting with President Javier Milei at 5:50 p.m. Later, he will meet with government officials, civil society representatives and members of the diplomatic corps at Palacio Libertad.
His schedule for Monday, November 9, begins at 9:15 a.m. with a visit to Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, Buenos Aires Province. The facility belongs to the Little Work of Divine Providence, a religious congregation founded by Saint Luigi Orione.
The institution cares for more than 400 residents and provides medical care, support services and social integration programs for people with severe intellectual and physical disabilities.
One of the main events of the Pope’s visit will be a Mass at the Monument to the Spanish in Buenos Aires. The site hosted a historic Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II on June 12, 1982, just two days before the end of the Malvina’s War.
In the afternoon, Leo XIV will attend a meeting with representatives of the labor sector at the Argentine Catholic University (UCA). He will then meet with leaders of Christian communities and other religious traditions at Palacio San Martín. Later, he will celebrate Vespers with the Argentine Episcopal Conference and synodal teams at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
On Tuesday, November 10, Leo XIV will travel to the Córdoba province, where he is scheduled to celebrate Mass at 10:00 a.m. in the courtyard of the Military Aviation School. He will later meet with bishops, priests, members of religious orders and pastoral workers at the cathedral.
Back in Buenos Aires, the Pope will lead a prayer vigil with young people at 8:15 p.m., also at the Monument to the Spanish.
November 11 will be his final day in Argentina. At 8:00 a.m., he is scheduled to visit the Buenos Aires Federal Penitentiary Complex of Villa Devoto. At 10:00 a.m., he will celebrate Mass in the square in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, Argentina’s patron saint.
After a farewell ceremony at Ezeiza International Airport at 1:30 p.m., the Pope is scheduled to depart for Lima at 2:00 p.m. The Peruvian leg of the journey will begin there, bringing his 2026 Latin American tour to a close.
A special security operation for the Pope’s visit
On September 8, Argentina’s Ministry of Security announced special security measures for the Pope’s visit. The measures activated the Federal Unified Command and established three dedicated commands: one for the City of Buenos Aires, another for Luján and Claypole, and a third for Córdoba.
The operation will be coordinated with the Foreign Ministry, the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff, the Military House and the Apostolic Nunciature. The Pontifical Swiss Guard will be responsible for the Pope’s immediate security.
In Buenos Aires, the command will coordinate federal security forces, protect the papal delegation and other official delegations, and secure airports, transportation hubs, major avenues and other strategic locations.
It will also oversee security at sites expected to draw the largest crowds. In Luján and Claypole, both in Buenos Aires Province, the operation will focus on the basilica and its access routes. In Córdoba, security teams will cover the Military Aviation School and nearby gathering areas.
Special attention to Devoto prison
The Pope’s planned visit to Devoto prison has accelerated the facility’s closure process. Under an agreement signed by the national government and the City of Buenos Aires on October 8, inmates began transferring to Federal Penitentiary Complex VIII in Marcos Paz.
After five consecutive days of transfers, the government announced on October 19 that the first phase of the operation was complete. A total of 1,400 inmates had been transferred to Marcos Paz, representing more than 90% of Devoto prison’s population.
Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva said authorities expect between 60 and 80 inmates to remain at Devoto during the Pope’s visit. The remaining transfers will resume after the visit concludes.
Milei declares 3 public holidays for Pope’s visit
Milei’s administration issued a decree to establish a three-day public holiday to celebrate the Pope’s visit.
The holidays are scheduled for November 9 nationwide, November 10 in the City of Buenos Aires and Córdoba, and November 11 in Buenos Aires Province. The measure is intended to facilitate security arrangements and traffic management during the Pope’s activities and movements.
The decree also established a Temporary Special Implementation Unit within the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff. The unit is responsible for coordinating logistics, infrastructure, security, emergency planning, protocol and institutional relations.
Leo XIV’s recovery will be key
Preparations for the visit were put in limbo on October 13, when Leo XIV was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic for scheduled thoracic surgery.
According to the Holy See, surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Pope was diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common lung cancer.
The Vatican has since said the Pope is making a favorable recovery and was discharged from the hospital on October 17. He has returned to the Vatican.
The Holy See has expressed optimism about his recovery and has not announced any cancellation or postponement to the South America trip.
The official itinerary therefore remains in place, and Argentina continues to await further updates.
If the Pope ends up not being able to travel, and the Holy See cancels the visit, Argentina’s government may have to take action to change the official holidays.
The current decree does not specify what happens if the trip is canceled, so, under Argentine law, the Executive Branch must issue a new measure amending or repealing the relevant provisions of the Emergency Decree.
Canceling the trip alone would not automatically invalidate the holidays.
Featured image credit: Pope Leo XIV via X.
