Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. Source: AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico
By muse
Asiatoday.id – Montevideo. Pope Leo XIV opened his first journey to Latin America as pope in Uruguay on Friday, arriving in Montevideo after a 13-hour flight from Rome and calling for health care that reaches everyone, regardless of their means. Speaking at the Plaza de Independencia before President Yamandú Orsi and other dignitaries, he drew on his own recent illness to press the case for protecting the most vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly. The visit, which runs from November 6 to 17 and will also take him to Argentina and Peru, is the first by a pope to Uruguay since John Paul II visited in 1988.
The pope’s chartered ITA Airways flight touched down at Montevideo-Carrasco International Airport in the afternoon, where he was greeted by young people and welcomed by Orsi. At the welcome ceremony in the Plaza de Independencia, he addressed political and diplomatic representatives, civil society and business leaders before holding a private meeting with the president at the Edificio José Artigas. The mayor of Montevideo also presented him with the key to the city, and he closed the day with a vespers service at the Metropolitan Cathedral alongside bishops, clergy, religious and seminarians.
A Journey Weeks After Surgery
The trip comes just 24 days after the pope underwent surgery on October 13 to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, an operation to treat a localized lung adenocarcinoma. His doctors confirmed the following week that he did not require further oncological treatment, and he told journalists aboard the flight from Rome that he had never doubted the journey should go ahead. He said he felt well, thanked the medical teams who had cared for him, and said faith had given him the strength to face the difficulties of illness.
Asked what advice he would give people facing a cancer diagnosis, he replied, “Not to be afraid.” He urged early detection and regular check-ups, and when asked the secret of his quick recovery, he answered, “Trust in God, good doctors, good surgeons, and overall, a healthy lifestyle.” He added that the experience had given him a sense of commitment to staying close to those who are sick, and said he planned to speak in Uruguay about how health care should be a right for all people.
Health Care for Everyone
In his address at the Plaza de Independencia, the pope spoke directly from his own experience of illness. “Recently I experienced firsthand the limitations imposed by illness, and I received care for which I am deeply grateful,” he said, adding that the experience made him think of the many people who cannot obtain a timely diagnosis or the treatment they need. “Ensuring that health care is accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources, is a duty that confronts every society,” he said.
He drew inspiration from the monument in the square honouring José Gervasio Artigas, the national hero who led the revolt against Spanish rule, reflecting that authority is received from a community and is accountable to it. Pointing to a relief of a woman holding a baby, he said, “The unborn already belong to the human family and to the future of their people.” He added that the protection of the unborn and support for the families who welcome them are inseparable, and that fathers and families must also offer support. Turning to a relief of an elderly woman, he said, “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.”
He also spoke about suicide, saying no one should ever feel like a stranger among their own and that adequate health care, family ties and the closeness of the community are inseparable. Uruguay is one of Latin America’s most secular countries, with more than half of its citizens religiously unaffiliated, according to 2020 Pew Research Center data, and Christians making up 44 percent of the population, the lowest share in the region. The pope urged that religion not be confined to the private sphere, saying the secular character of the state should ensure room for believers and nonbelievers to live together in freedom and respect.
Faith in a Secular Country
He also called on Uruguay, which hosts the headquarters of the Mercosur trade bloc, to keep promoting cooperation and multilateralism, and to plan for the long term as technology transforms work, protecting the environment and workers. He said wealth and investment should “translate into goods and opportunities that effectively reach everyone.” His remarks touched on issues where Catholic teaching differs from Uruguayan law, including abortion, decriminalized in 2012, and euthanasia, legalized in 2025, although he did not name the euthanasia law directly.
What Comes Next
On Saturday, the pope is scheduled to fly to Paysandú, on Uruguay’s border with Argentina, to celebrate Mass at Parque París Londres before returning to Montevideo in the afternoon. He is then due to visit the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Casavalle, a poor neighbourhood of the capital, meet the education community at the Catholic University of Uruguay, and lead an evening prayer vigil at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium. On Sunday, he will celebrate Mass in Florida for Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, Uruguay’s patroness, before flying to Argentina, where he will stay until November 11, and then on to Peru.
The journey is the pope’s first to Latin America since his election, and it returns him to a region that shaped his ministry as an Augustinian missionary priest and later bishop in Peru, where he spent decades and became a naturalized citizen in 2015. He has called Peru one of his many homes, and the final and longest leg of the trip will take him there, including Chiclayo, the diocese he once led. The motto for the Uruguay leg, “I bring you good news of a great joy,” reflects his stated aim on the journey: to share the joy of the Gospel and to walk with people in their moments of joy and sorrow.
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