18/06/2026 15:16 - Actualidad
Papa León XIV sonriendo y saludando a una multitud en una plaza sudamericana con banderas argentinas y peruanas.
The news was confirmed on June 18, 2026 by Peru's President José María Balcázar following a private audience of approximately two hours with the Pope at Vatican City.
According to the Peruvian leader, the visit will take place during the first half of November 2026 and will last an estimated eight to ten days. The preliminary itinerary includes tours through five main cities: Lima, Chiclayo, Piura, Cusco, and Pucallpa, with possible additions of Puno and Iquitos.
Pope Leo XIV has a special connection with this city: before being elected pontiff, he served as bishop of the Chiclayo diocese. The Peruvian government has even planned helicopter transfers so he can visit Quechua-speaking communities in the highlands of Incahuasi and Cañaris.
In Argentina, signals are encouraging. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno had already hinted in May that he was bringing "good news that will make the entire Argentine people happy" after meeting with President Javier Milei, with strong speculation about this visit.
Formal negotiations began in February 2026, when the foreign minister personally delivered to the Pope an invitation letter signed by Milei. Executive branch sources estimate there's a "70% or greater" probability that the visit will materialize before year's end.
"I delivered an invitation letter from the President to Pope Leo XIV to visit our country and reaffirmed the willingness to work together for peace."
Argentina's Episcopal Conference has contacted authorities from River Plate Football Club—one of Argentina's most iconic sports institutions—to evaluate hosting a massive event at the Monumental Stadium (officially known as Estadio Más Monumental), a clear indication of the logistics being prepared in anticipation of a multitudinous gathering.
River Plate's Monumental Stadium is Argentina's largest sports venue, located in Buenos Aires. With a capacity exceeding 83,000 spectators, it regularly hosts major football matches and concerts. For comparison, it's roughly equivalent to Wembley Stadium in London or Camp Nou in Barcelona.
If realized, this would be the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly four decades. The closest precedent is John Paul II's visit in 1987.
This fact takes on special significance because Pope Francis (Jorge Bergoglio), despite being the first Argentine Pope in history, never visited his native country during his twelve years of papacy—a historical fact that will contrast with the pace of his successor, Leo XIV.
According to Vatican protocol, the Holy See must officially notify the host country's Episcopal Conference; to date, the Argentine church awaits official confirmation, though political and diplomatic signals are extremely positive.
Argentina has the world's eighth-largest Catholic population, with approximately 77% of its 46 million inhabitants identifying as Catholic. Despite this, Pope Francis—who was Archbishop of Buenos Aires before his election—never returned to his homeland during his papacy (2013-2025), due to complex political and ecclesiastical reasons that historians continue to debate.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
