Pope Leo launches South America tour

Pope Leo XIV landed in Montevideo on Friday, starting a twelve-day tour of South America. The arrival marks the first major foreign trip for the 71-year-old leader since he underwent surgery for lung cancer on October 13.

Leo addressed reporters immediately after a thirteen-hour flight from Rome. He stated that he felt "fairly good" and expressed confidence that the journey would proceed. "I had no doubt and was convinced that this trip had to go forward," he said. He credited medical assistance for his current condition, noting he was in "fairly good shape."

The itinerary covers Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. This schedule is considered one of the most intensive papal foreign tours in recent decades. In Uruguay, the region's most secular nation, Leo has a packed three-day agenda. He will visit a neighborhood with significant gang violence. He is also scheduled to hold mass in Paysandu, 375 kilometers from the capital, and in Florida, 100 kilometers away.

Local officials reported high demand for the events. Cardinal Daniel Sturla, the archbishop of Montevideo, told AFP that interest in the visit extends beyond the Catholic Church. Tickets for the masses in Paysandu and Florida sold out quickly.

The final leg of the trip will take Leo to Peru, where he served as a missionary for nearly twenty years. He plans to visit the former Inca capital of Cusco and the Amazon rainforest. He will also return to his former diocese in Chiclayo to privately visit a chapel he helped rebuild.

The Vatican confirmed that doctors cleared Leo to travel. No special medical measures beyond standard care were required. Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the Vatican's communications chief, said Leo's stamina was "fantastic." She noted that he had passed the mandatory fourteen-day convalescence period. "The way that he's singing is incredible. And you can only sing if your lungs are really strong," Alvarado said.