Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay as he begins a 12-day tour of South America, three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery that had thrown the entire trip into doubt. Large crowds greeted Leo when he arrived in the capital, Montevideo, on Friday. The Vatican estimated that 30,000 people had come to see him pass and attend his first event. Recommended stories list of 3 articlesend of list Despite a long trip from Rome, the 71-year-old pontiff appeared in good shape when he arrived at Plaza Independencia for the formal welcome and speech, attended by Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi and government officials. In his comments to Orsi, delivered in Spanish, Leo praised Uruguay’s development, including its “remarkable” transition. to clean energy. He also highlighted the mental health challenges affecting the country and encouraged universal healthcare. A child wrapped in a flag with an image of Pope Leo [AFP]The Pope commented on the country’s suicide rate, the highest in Latin America, while reflecting on his own challenges in the fight against lung cancer and the “many men and women who lack the means” for a timely diagnosis. The experience convinced him that health care should be “accessible to everyone,” he said. The Pope also recalled that the State must take care of its people, young and old, a veiled reference to Uruguay’s abortion policy, which was decriminalized in 2012, and the legalization of assisted dying in 2025, both of which go against Catholic teaching. “It is everyone’s responsibility to guarantee that each person can live with dignity, receive the care they need and be accompanied until the natural end of their life,” Leo said. Around Latin America in 12 days The head of the Roman Catholic Church landed in Montevideo on Friday after a 13-hour flight and told reporters that he feels “quite well.” “I know that some people had doubts about taking this trip,” Leo told reporters aboard the papal plane. “I had no doubt and I was convinced that this journey had to go forward. And I am very happy to say, praise the Lord and thanks to the wonderful medical assistance, that I am here today, I think in pretty good shape.” Paysandú, about 375 kilometers (230 miles) from Montevideo, and another mass in the city of Florida, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the capital. Cardinal Daniel Sturla, archbishop of Montevideo, told the AFP news agency that there was “widespread interest in the Pope’s visit that goes far beyond the confines of the Catholic Church,” and tickets for masses in Paysandú and Florida are selling out quickly. Pope Leo arrives at Carrasco international airport, on November 6, 2026, in the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988 [Yara Nardi/Reuters]The regional trip is a trip home of sorts for Leo, as he will end in Peru on November 17, where he served for nearly two decades as a missionary, forming a deep bond with the continent. The trip will take the Pope to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco and the Amazon rainforest, and he will also visit his former diocese of Chiclayo for a private visit to a chapel he helped rebuild. Leo said Wednesday that he looked forward to returning to a region “so dear to me.” The world’s 1.4 billion Catholics said they hoped the trip would “strengthen faith, renew hope and rekindle the fire of charity” in the countries it visits, which face growing inequality and violence, as well as a decline in Catholic followers. Although he underwent surgery on Oct. 13 to remove a cancerous tumor, doctors gave him the all-clear to travel, and the Vatican said no special medical measures were necessary beyond standard care on papal trips. The resistance is fantastic. The way he sings is incredible and you can only sing if your lungs are really strong,” said Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the Vatican’s new communications chief. She noted that Leo had passed the 14-day convalescence period required by doctors after his surgery and was eager to make the trip.
