Pope Leo XIV arrived in Montevideo on November 6, 2026, launching a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru that marks his first major international journey since undergoing lung cancer surgery in October.
The 71-year-old pontiff touched down in Uruguay for an itinerary spanning 19,000 travel miles, 14 flights, and 36 speeches across three countries. The choice of Uruguay as a starting point places the pontiff in Latin America’s most secular nation. About 33 percent of the population identifies as Catholic, while roughly 52 percent claim no religious affiliation, according to polling data from CIFRA cited by NPR and Catholic Standard.
Pope Leo Calls for Universal Healthcare in Montevideo
Pope Leo underwent the removal of a cancerous nodule from his right lung on October 13. Drawing on his own recent hospitalization, he used his opening address at Plaza Independencia to urge universal access to medical care. CBS News reported that the pope told civic leaders that illness provides firsthand perspective on the barriers ordinary people face in securing timely diagnoses and treatments. Montse Alvarado, the new head of Vatican Communications, told journalists ahead of the journey that the pontiff possesses fantastic stamina and that a medical team accompanies him on board.
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…
Recently I experienced firsthand the limitations imposed by illness and I received care for which I am grateful,
the Pope said, as quoted by Aleteia EN.
It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that each person can live with dignity,
the Pope stated, according to Aleteia EN. He added that people must receive the care they need and be accompanied until the natural end of his or her life. The pontiff also met with Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi at Plaza Independencia during his opening day in the capital.
I encourage you to carry forward the mission of evangelization with enthusiasm. Be bridges, so that many may encounter Jesus. Be a fraternal community that comes together and shares life, projects, dreams and hopes, especially with those most in need. Be a community of prayer…
OSV News reported that Uruguay recorded 668 deaths by suicide in 2025, yielding a rate of 19.16 per 100,000 inhabitants. Given the painful reality of suicide, it is clear that adequate healthcare, family ties, and the closeness of the community are inseparable,
the Pope said, per OSV News. Pope Leo also praised the nation’s four decades of uninterrupted democracy and its transition toward renewable energy sources.
Pontiff Celebrates Mass in Paysandú
On Saturday, the pope traveled to Paysandú in western Uruguay near the Argentine border to celebrate his first open-air Mass in South America. According to The Hill and PBS, Vatican officials estimated the crowd at 40,000 attendees, drawing pilgrims from Uruguay as well as neighboring Argentina and Brazil despite morning rain and blustery gray skies. Pilgrims crossed the General Artigas International Bridge connecting Uruguay and Argentina, an architectural link the pontiff invoked in his homily, according to reporting by Reuters. During the Mass, the pope recalled the legacy of Blessed Jacinto Vera, known as the gaucho bishop, who traveled the country on horseback in the late 1800s.
Mate is a sign of familiarity, friendship and encounter,
the Pope told the gathered faithful, eliciting cheerful applause from crowds who arrived carrying thermoses and gourds.
Our likeness to Christ also matures in the midst of difficulties, such as when work seems fruitless, when our strength wanes or when we must start anew. Eventually endurance leaves its mark. Over the years, a gaze can become more merciful, hands more willing to serve and words…
More on Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV recalled Uruguay’s first bishop who “bore faithful witness to the faith” and renewed evangelization in the South American country, where Catholics today are a minority and almost half the population professes no faith at all. The pope, celebrating Mass in the city…
Related reading