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(The Conversation) — Pope Leo XIV travels to Latin America on Nov. 6, 2026, with a packed itinerary that will bring him through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It is Leo’s first trip to the region since his elevation to the papacy – and a homecoming for a pope who spent two decades in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship.

As a historian of Catholicism in the late 20th century, I couldn’t help but notice that the pope’s plans walk a fine line during a fraught political moment in Latin America.

Leo plans to meet with the right-wing presidents of Argentina and Peru. He will also visit sites often associated with the progressive wing of the Catholic Church, including Casavalle, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Uruguay’s capital.…