Huge crowds greeted the pope as he pulled into the capital on Friday.
Leo Arrives in Montevideo for Latin America Tour
Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the Vatican’s new communications chief, noted that Leo had passed the 14-day convalescence period required by doctors after his October 13 surgery. And you can only sing if your lungs are really strong,
Alvarado told Al Jazeera, according to Aljazeera.
Pope Leo Champions Universal Healthcare in Uruguay
The 71-year-old pope arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay, Latin America’s most secular country, after a 13 1/2-hour flight from Rome during which he acknowledged that some people had doubted whether he could make the grueling, 12-day trip at all. He insisted that the state was obliged to care for its people, young and old. He also encouraged universal healthcare, noting the many individuals who lack the means for a timely diagnosis. The experience convinced him that healthcare should be accessible to all.
When Pope Leo XIV arrives in Argentina Nov. 8, he will become the first pope to set foot in the country in nearly four decades — and the first to encounter a nation still wrestling with the legacy of the Argentine who preceded him. Pope Francis remained deeply loved by many… pic.twitter.com/LWlilGl0vz
During his welcome ceremony with President Yamandú Orsi at Plaza Independencia, Leo addressed the nation’s secular traditions and recent legislation. Uruguay decriminalized abortion in 2012 and legalized assisted dying in 2025, laws that run counter to Catholic teaching, as detailed by NBC News.
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that each person can live with dignity, receive the care they need, and be accompanied until the natural end of his or her life,
Leo said, using Vatican terminology opposing euthanasia, according to AP News.
On Friday, I will travel to South America to visit #Uruguay, #Argentina, and #Peru. I entrust myself to your prayers, so that this journey may strengthen faith, renew hope, rekindle the fire of charity, and encourage us to continue joyfully proclaiming the Gospel.…
Speaking to civil authorities and civil society representatives, the pope also emphasized that state neutrality does not require confining religion to the private sphere, reported Vatican News.
Pontiff Schedules Upcoming Visits to Argentina and Peru
After completing his events in Montevideo and Paysandú, Pope Leo is scheduled to leave Uruguay on November 8, 2026, to begin a visit to Argentina, according to the schedule outlined by Where Peter Is and Yahoo News. The itinerary will subsequently take him to Peru for a six-day stay concluding on November 16, 2026.
Earlier coverage: Pope Leo XIV Begins Landmark Latin American Tour
Pope Leo XIV departed Rome for Uruguay on the morning of Nov. 6 at the start of a 12-day trip to South America, the longest international journey of his pontificate, a little over three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer. The Nov. 6-17 trip will be his first visit to…
More on Uruguay
Pope Leo XIV begins a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, marking his return to South America after undergoing lung surgery last month. pic.twitter.com/k9OkEP3rf7
#LatinAmerica | Pope Leo XIV begins a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, emphasizing peace, social justice, Indigenous rights and environmental protection.#PopeLeoXIV #PapalVisit #SocialJustice #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/ctmiS2DOgY
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