Pope Leo XIV Begins 12-Day South America Tour With Stop in Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old head of the Catholic Church, landed in Uruguay on Friday to start a 12-day tour of South America that will also take him to Argentina and Peru. The trip comes only three weeks after he underwent lung cancer surgery and is described as one of the most intense papal foreign journeys in decades.

Before landing, the pope told reporters, including those from AFP, that he wanted to bring a "message of hope in today's world." He said he was "in fairly good shape" after the operation and added that he had no doubt the trip should go ahead. Doctors have cleared him to travel, and the Vatican said no special medical measures are needed beyond the standard care provided on papal trips.

Voting in the US midterms

Leo is the first pope from the United States and has repeatedly clashed with US President Donald Trump over the war in the Middle East. He said he voted by mail in this week's US midterm elections, reportedly the first time a pope is known to have voted in a political election. He also holds Peruvian citizenship, having spent almost two decades as a missionary in Peru, which he called "one of my many homes."

Uruguay: security and themes

Uruguay is Latin America's most secular country and one of its wealthiest. About 5,000 police officers and 1,000 soldiers have been deployed for security. The pope will ride along Montevideo's waterfront in a custom-made popemobile, meet left-wing President Yamandu Orsi and receive the keys to the city. Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, said interest in the visit goes well beyond the Catholic Church.

Uruguay differs with the Church on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia, which was legalised last year. Leo is expected to appeal for the protection of life and traditional family values, and may also address mental health during a visit to Casavalle, a Montevideo neighborhood known for poverty and extreme violence.

The rest of the route

On Sunday the pope travels to Argentina, the homeland of his predecessor Pope Francis, who did not return there during his papacy. The tour ends in Peru, where Leo arrives on Wednesday. There he will visit Cusco and the Amazon rainforest, share a supper with priests from his former Chiclayo diocese and make a private visit to a chapel he helped rebuild.