Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Uruguay at the start of a 12-day tour of South America that will also take him to Argentina and Peru. It is the longest and farthest journey of his pontificate so far, according to the Associated Press.
The 71-year-old pontiff landed in Montevideo on Friday, 6 November 2026, after a flight of about 13 hours from Rome. The trip comes less than a month after he had surgery on 13 October to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung.
A warm welcome in Montevideo
The Pope was greeted by Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi and government officials, and Montevideo’s mayor presented him with the keys to the city. He then travelled through the capital in an open-sided popemobile.
The Vatican estimated that about 30,000 people turned out along the route and at his first event, the AP reported. He gave his first speech outdoors at Plaza Independencia on a windy afternoon, before leading evening vespers at Montevideo Cathedral.
In his address, the Pope praised Uruguay’s development and recalled its Catholic heritage. He also spoke about the state’s duty to care for people of all ages, saying: “It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that each person can live with dignity.” The AP reported that some observers read the remarks as a reference to Uruguay’s laws on abortion and assisted dying, which the Catholic Church opposes.
Health questions before the journey
Al Jazeera reported that doctors cleared the Pope to travel after he completed a 14-day recovery period, and that the Vatican said no special medical measures beyond standard arrangements were needed for the trip.
Speaking to reporters on the plane, he said he was feeling “fairly good”. According to the AP, he also acknowledged that “some people” had doubted he would be able to make the journey, and credited his doctors, his faith and a healthy lifestyle for his recovery.
What is on the itinerary
Uruguay, with a population of about 3.5 million, is often described as the most secular country in Latin America. This is the first papal visit there since St John Paul II in 1988.
During his three-day stay, the Pope is due to attend a prayer vigil at Centenario Stadium and celebrate masses in Paysandú, about 375km from Montevideo, and in Florida, about 100km from the capital. Tickets for the masses and the vigil were reported to have sold out quickly.
Argentina is the middle stop of the tour. The final leg in Peru has personal meaning for the Pope, who spent around two decades there as a missionary and later as a bishop. Al Jazeera reported that plans in Peru include visits to the former Inca capital of Cusco and the Amazon region, as well as a private visit to a chapel in his former diocese of Chiclayo.
Before leaving, the Pope said he hoped the trip would “strengthen faith, renew hope, and rekindle the fire of charity” in the countries he visits.
What to know about the tour
- Dates: 6 to 17 November 2026 (12 days)
- Countries: Uruguay, Argentina and Peru
- Time difference: Montevideo is seven hours behind the UAE, so an evening event at 7pm local time is 2am the next day in Dubai
- Context: Latin America is home to about 40 per cent of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, according to the AP
- Health: The Pope had lung surgery on 13 October and was cleared by doctors to travel
Sources: Al Jazeera, Associated Press via Crux, Associated Press via Durango Herald
