After months of anticipation and iterations, the official confirmation finally arrived: Pope Leo XIV will visit Argentina between Sunday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
The news was announced this Wednesday, August 5 by the Vatican. The trip will be part of an extensive apostolic journey that will begin on November 6 and extend until the 17th, with stops in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
During his passage through our country, Pope Leo XIV will visit three places especially significant:
- The city of Buenos Aires.
- The city of Córdoba.
- The Buenos Aires Province town of Luján.
Although the dates and the cities have already been confirmed, the Holy See has not yet released the full schedule with times, religious celebrations, institutional meetings or the itineraries the Pontiff will undertake.
When does the Pope arrive in Argentina
According to the announced information, Pope Leo XIV will be in Argentina from November 8 to 11, 2026.
The South American tour will begin in Uruguay, where he will stay from November 6 to 8 and will visit Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida.
Then he will travel to Argentina and, on November 11, will continue on to Peru, where he will stay until the 17th. There he will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa.
The trip will hold special meaning for Pope Leo XIV, who lived for years in Peru, served as bishop of Chiclayo between 2015 and 2023, and also holds Peruvian citizenship.
Which Argentine cities will Pope Leo XIV visit
Buenos Aires
The City of Buenos Aires will be one of the central hubs of the visit. It is expected that there will be the official welcome, meetings with national authorities and representatives of the Church, and possibly an open celebration for the faithful.
However, the exact places he will travel to and where a potential large Mass would be celebrated have not yet been announced.
There is also anticipation for a confirmation of an institutional meeting with President Javier Milei. The Argentine president had been received by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on June 7, 2025. After that audience, the Government said that the Pope had personally confirmed his intention to visit Argentina.
Córdoba
Córdoba will be another stop on the journey. The choice carries strong religious and historical significance due to the province’s weight in Argentine Catholic tradition and its extensive Jesuit presence.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the agenda will include the capital city, any site linked to the Jesuit Block (Manzana Jesuítica) or activities with religious communities, youth and representatives of social organizations.
The details will be announced when the Vatican publishes the official program.
Luján
The visit to Luján will be one of the most symbolic moments of the Argentine tour.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Luján houses the image of Argentina’s patroness and is one of the country’s most important pilgrimage centers.
Although the Holy See has not yet released the agenda, it is expected that Pope Leo XIV will visit the sanctuary and have some meeting with the faithful and pilgrims. The Virgin of Luján has historically occupied a central place in papal visits and in the Church’s relationship with the Argentine people.
A historic journey: it has been 39 years since a pope visited the country
Pope Leo XIV’s arrival will carry historical significance. The last papal visit to Argentina occurred in April 1987, when John Paul II traveled across the country for six days.
The Polish pope arrived in Buenos Aires on April 6 of that year and visited several cities. It was his second visit to Argentina: the first had occurred in June 1982, during the Falklands War, as part of a pastoral mission for peace.
Since then, no other pope had set foot on Argentine soil again.
The trip Pope Francis could never undertake
Pope Leo XIV’s visit will also be colored by the memory of Pope Francis.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires and was elected pope on March 13, 2013. However, during his pontificate he never returned to Argentina.
The possibility of a visit was mentioned on several occasions, but the trip never materialized. Therefore, the arrival of his successor will carry a special emotional weight for many Argentine faithful.
Pope Leo XIV will travel through the homeland of Francis and arrive at a church deeply marked by the pastoral legacy of the first Argentine and Latin American pope.
It is expected that during his visit there will be gestures, speeches or moments dedicated to remembering Francis, although no official tributes have been announced so far.
Who is Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV, whose name is Robert Francis Prevost, was elected pope on May 8, 2025.
He was born in Chicago, United States, and spent much of his religious and pastoral life in Peru. He is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine and served as bishop of Chiclayo before assuming major responsibilities within the Vatican.
His connection with Latin America is one of the central features of his career. He speaks Spanish and is closely familiar with the social, economic and pastoral issues of the region.
The tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will be his first extended visit to South America since the start of his pontificate.
What the South American tour will involve
The apostolic journey will take place between November 6 and 17 and will cover three countries.
Uruguay: November 6 to 8
Pope Leo XIV will visit:
- Montevideo.
- Paysandú.
- Florida.
Argentina: November 8 to 11
The Pontiff will pass through:
- Buenos Aires.
- Córdoba.
- Luján.
Peru: November 11 to 17
The final and most extended leg of the tour will include:
- Lima.
- Chiclayo.
- Cusco.
- Pucallpa.
The return to Chiclayo will be especially emotional, since Leo XIV was bishop of that diocese for eight years and maintains a very close relationship with the Peruvian community.
What remains to be confirmed about the Pope’s visit
Although the dates and cities have already been announced, several important points are still to be clarified:
- The exact arrival time in the country.
- The airport where he will land.
- The routes he will take in the papamobile.
- The venue for possible large Masses.
- How access to the celebrations will be organized.
- Meetings with authorities.
- Meetings with bishops, priests and religious.
- Activities with youth and families.
- Possible meetings with people in vulnerable situations.
- Traffic restrictions and security operations.
The Holy See usually publishes the detailed program of apostolic journeys closer to the date. That document includes schedules, speeches, ceremonies, transfers and public and private activities.
Will there be a large Mass?
At the moment, there is no official confirmation of where or when Pope Leo XIV’s masses in Argentina will take place.
Given the historical magnitude of the visit, it is expected that at least one of the celebrations could bring together a large number of faithful. Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján have spaces capable of hosting massive gatherings, but any possible location remains a matter of organization.
Also, the entry systems, accreditation, transportation and security arrangements will need to be defined.
Will it be a holiday because of the Pope’s visit?
So far no national holiday or non-working day linked to the arrival of Pope Leo XIV has been announced.
Declaring a holiday would require a formal decision by the national government. For the moment, Sunday the 8th, Monday the 9th, Tuesday the 10th and Wednesday the 11th of November maintain their usual status within the calendar.
Authorities could arrange local days off, changes in transport or circulation restrictions in the cities included in the visit, but those measures have not yet been communicated.
A religious, social and political visit
The arrival of a pope is never limited solely to the religious agenda. It also involves diplomatic encounters, messages addressed to authorities and statements on the host country’s social reality.
The visit will take place in a context shaped by debates over poverty, employment, education, inequality and social cohesion. Therefore, there will be particular attention to the speeches Pope Leo XIV delivers during his stay.
His track record in Latin America and his closeness to vulnerable communities could occupy a central place in his messages.
At the same time, organizers will seek to avoid partisan use of the papal figure and preserve the pastoral character of the visit.
The eagerly awaited return of a Pope to Argentina
Between November 8 and 11, Argentina will witness an event that has not occurred in nearly four decades.
The arrival of Leo XIV will bring together believers, authorities and communities from across the country. It will also carry a deeply symbolic dimension: the successor of Francis will visit for the first time the land where the Argentine pope was born and began his vocation.
Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján will be the three confirmed stops of a trip that is only beginning to reveal its details and that promises to become one of the most important events of 2026.
