Pope Leo begins South American tour after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Thursday to begin a 12-day tour of South America. The journey spans three countries and represents the longest trip of his papacy. It is also his first major overseas visit since undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

The itinerary includes 12 flights, two helicopter rides, and 36 speeches across 10 cities. One destination is Cusco, Peru, which sits more than 11,000 feet above sea level. Officials note that travelers may require supplemental oxygen at that altitude.

Vatican communications chief Maria Montserrat Alvar stated that the pope completed a two-week recovery period following surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. She said his doctors are confident in his health and that medical care is available on board for the trip. "The Gospel is meant to go everywhere," Alvar said when asked why the trip starts in Uruguay, a nation known for its secular culture.

Uruguay has a population of approximately 3.5 million people. About one-third of its residents identify as Catholic, though fewer actively practice the faith. The country has separated religion from government for more than a century. Christmas is officially designated as Family Day, while Easter week is known as Tourism Week.

Political analyst Mariana Pomiés, director of the public polling firm CIFRA, noted that secularism is often misunderstood in the region. "Secularism is not anti-religion, it's the neutrality of the state in religious matters," she said. She added that in Uruguay, that neutrality has become an absolute for some.

In the Casavalle neighborhood, volunteers prepared a simple stage outside the brick Our Lady of Guadalupe Church for the pope's scheduled visit on Saturday. Father Pablo Coimbra, who has served the community for six years, said the visit brings attention to a group often living on the margins. "Today they are in the heart, in the center," he said.

A proposed papal address to the Uruguayan parliament was withdrawn after public and political criticism. President Yamandú Orsi will host a welcome ceremony outside the main cathedral in Montevideo. The pope will celebrate evening prayers with church leaders and laypeople there before moving to Sunday mass in Florida, a town about an hour from the capital.

On Sunday, the pope will travel to Argentina, fulfilling a wish of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Francis had hoped to return to his homeland but did not make the trip before his death. He expressed concern that a papal visit might become entangled in Argentina's polarized politics.

The visit serves as a test of how Pope Leo will address tensions with right-wing populist leaders in Latin America. President Javier Milei has implemented austerity measures that have pushed millions into poverty, a move that contrasts with the pope's support for the poor. Milei has also embraced artificial intelligence with minimal regulation, while Pope Leo's first encyclical called for ethical safeguards to protect human dignity.

The final leg of the trip returns the pope to Peru, where he spent two decades as a missionary and bishop. He became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015. He will meet with President Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former dictator Alberto Fujimori. During the Fujimori era, Leo criticized military violence and supported the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.