Parolin: Leo XIV's Trip Will Witness to Unity
On the eve of the Nov. 6–17 trip, the Secretary of State emphasized Gospel joy, dialogue, and care for Amazonian peoples.
On November 5, 2026, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, previewed Pope Leo XIV’s sixth international apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, Nov. 6–17. He presented the visit as a call to overcome deep social polarization in Latin America and as a witness to unity, reconciliation, peace, dialogue, and harmony.
The itinerary combines proclamation of the Gospel with attention to young people, the poor, and Amazonian peoples. Parolin said the Church’s first mission is to become “a leaven of peace, dialogue, and harmony.”
Uruguay, Argentina, and a Personal Stage in Peru
In Uruguay, among Latin America’s most secularized societies, the motto is “I bring you news of great joy.” Parolin explained that the Pope does not seek to reclaim lost ground but to offer good news that is “offered, never imposed,” centered on Jesus Christ. He added that the small but vibrant local Church is “not alone.”
In Argentina, which retains a strong memory of Pope Francis—whose pontificate included no visit to the country—the motto is “Welcome everyone. Go and proclaim.” Parolin expects the Holy Father to speak as a father, stressing sincere dialogue and unity and embracing families and communities who strive “with dignity and sacrifice.”
Peru is described as a personal stage: Leo XIV was bishop of Chiclayo. Parolin recalled the Pope’s January 30, 2026, ad limina meeting with Peruvian bishops, when he spoke of the special place Peru holds in his heart. In Pucallpa, in the Peruvian Amazon, the Pope will meet missionaries and representatives of Amazonian peoples.
Creation, the Poor, and Shared Roots
Parolin linked the Amazon Synod, Laudato si', and Querida Amazonia to protecting the dignity of the most vulnerable and to rethinking development models focused on profit and consumption. He noted that the Pope renewed the call for care of creation on the Sept. 1 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
Across the three nations, the journey is framed as Gospel proclamation joined to concrete closeness to those who suffer division, poverty, and ecological pressure—an apostolic sign that unity in Christ is proposed as a gift and a path of reconciliation, never as force.