{"id":2242526,"date":"2026-11-06T08:52:38","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T05:52:38","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-11-06T08:52:38","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T05:52:38","slug":"pope-leo-arrives-in-uruguay-at-start-of-south-america-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2242526","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo arrives in Uruguay at start of South America tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/79882614_6.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5P8VU<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Uruguay’s President Yamandu Orsi welcomed Pope Leo as he landed in Carrasco International Airport Image: Simone Risoluti\/Vatican Media\/Handout\/REUTERS<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on Friday at the start of a grueling 12-day tour through three South American countries, just weeks after his lung cancer surgery.<\/a><\/p>\n

The 71-year-old pontiff told\u00a0reporters he was very happy to be in Uruguay, having flown a nearly 14-hour flight from Rome to get to Montevideo.<\/a><\/p>\n

“I confess that from the first day, I had no doubt and was convinced that this trip had to go forward,”\u00a0he told reporters aboard the papal plane.<\/p>\n

Leo hit the ground running on arrival, drawing huge crowds in Montevideo as he pulled into town in his open-sided popemobile.<\/p>\n

The Vatican estimated 30,000 people had turned out to watch him go by and attend his first event in a country that is largely secular and where membership in the Church is declining.<\/p>\n

“In an age \u200cwhen \u200bdifferences can easily become a source of\u00a0conflict, persevering \u200bin respect for the law, negotiation and\u00a0the \u2060patient \u200bsearch for \u200bagreements is a service \u200bthat Uruguay \u200ccan\u00a0continue to offer its neighbors,” \u200bLeo \u2060told crowds in Montevideo’s main square.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Uruguayan President Yamandu\u00a0Orsi, leader of the center-left alliance, was present there too.<\/p>\n

Leo is then planning to visit the Casavalle neighborhood, which is notorious for its high rates of poverty and violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With starting in Uruguay, Leo marks the\u00a0first papal visit to the country in nearly four decades, with\u00a0Pope John Paul II having last visited in 1988.<\/p>\n

What to know about Pope Leo’s taxing itinerary\u00a0<\/h2>\n

The pontiff will spend three days in Uruguay before heading on to Argentina on Sunday.<\/p>\n

He then travels to Peru, where he spent half his priestly life, before he was elected pontiff last year. He became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Latin America is home to around 40% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics<\/a>, for whom the pope is their spiritual leader. However, fewer and fewer people on the continent identify as Catholic.<\/p>\n

Enthusiasm around Leo’s visit a surprise in Uruguay<\/h2>\n

Uruguay, the most secular Latin American country,\u00a0was the\u00a0first country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana use and has since legalized abortion, same-sex marriage and assisted dying, all against opposition from the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

However, the enthusiasm around Leo’s visit has come as a bit of a surprise, with tickets for his prayer vigil at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium selling out in just two days.<\/p>\n

\"A
The pope is expected to express opposition to some of the more liberal policies enacted in UruguayImage: Lucas Aguayo Araos\/Anadolu\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What will Pope Leo do in Argentina?<\/h2>\n

On Sunday, Leo will cross over to neighboring Argentina, the home of his papal predecessor Francis<\/a>, who, however, disappointed his native compatriots by never returning home as pope.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of Francis’s papacy, some 71% of Argentinians identified as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center. By 2024, this had fallen to 58%.<\/p>\n

\"A
Leo will hope his visit makes up for the refusal by his predecessor to visit his home countryImage: Agustin Marcarian\/REUTERS<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leo is set to meet with Argentinian President Javier Milei, who has come under criticism from the Catholic Church for his sweeping cuts that have hampered programs for the poor and needy.<\/p>\n

He is also planning to meet with business leaders, trade unions, workers and social representatives.<\/p>\n

Pope Leo to return to Peru for last leg of trip<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0final leg of the trip, on Wednesday, will see Leo return to Peru, where he lived and preached for two decades.<\/p>\n

There is excitement about his visit to Peru, with the pope planning to celebrate Mass in his old diocese of Chiclayo as well as in the mountain village of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.<\/p>\n

The pope will also celebrate Mass in the former Incan capital city of Cusco before honoring Peru’s indigenous population by traveling to Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon.<\/p>\n

The excitement can be seen in the street vendors selling T-shirts and rosaries with his likeness, while bakeries have been selling Leo bread.<\/p>\n

Peru has also seen a weakening of the faithful in recent years, with the Catholic population falling from 76% in 2013-2014 to around 67% now.<\/p>\n

\"A
Peruvian Catholics have shown particular interest in the pope’s visit as a type of homecomingImage: Martin Mejia\/AP Photo\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n
\n

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on Friday at the start of a grueling 12-day tour through three South American countries, just weeks after his lung cancer surgery.<\/a><\/p>\n

The 71-year-old pontiff told\u00a0reporters he was very happy to be in Uruguay, having flown a nearly 14-hour flight from Rome to get to Montevideo.<\/a><\/p>\n

“I confess that from the first day, I had no doubt and was convinced that this trip had to go forward,”\u00a0he told reporters aboard the papal plane.<\/p>\n

Leo hit the ground running on arrival, drawing huge crowds in Montevideo as he pulled into town in his open-sided popemobile.<\/p>\n

The Vatican estimated 30,000 people had turned out to watch him go by and attend his first event in a country that is largely secular and where membership in the Church is declining.<\/p>\n

“In an age \u200cwhen \u200bdifferences can easily become a source of\u00a0conflict, persevering \u200bin respect for the law, negotiation and\u00a0the \u2060patient \u200bsearch for \u200bagreements is a service \u200bthat Uruguay \u200ccan\u00a0continue to offer its neighbors,” \u200bLeo \u2060told crowds in Montevideo’s main square.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Uruguayan President Yamandu\u00a0Orsi, leader of the center-left alliance, was present there too.<\/p>\n

Leo is then planning to visit the Casavalle neighborhood, which is notorious for its high rates of poverty and violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With starting in Uruguay, Leo marks the\u00a0first papal visit to the country in nearly four decades, with\u00a0Pope John Paul II having last visited in 1988.<\/p>\n

What to know about Pope Leo’s taxing itinerary\u00a0<\/h2>\n

The pontiff will spend three days in Uruguay before heading on to Argentina on Sunday.<\/p>\n

He then travels to Peru, where he spent half his priestly life, before he was elected pontiff last year. He became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Latin America is home to around 40% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics<\/a>, for whom the pope is their spiritual leader. However, fewer and fewer people on the continent identify as Catholic.<\/p>\n

Enthusiasm around Leo’s visit a surprise in Uruguay<\/h2>\n

Uruguay, the most secular Latin American country,\u00a0was the\u00a0first country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana use and has since legalized abortion, same-sex marriage and assisted dying, all against opposition from the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

However, the enthusiasm around Leo’s visit has come as a bit of a surprise, with tickets for his prayer vigil at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium selling out in just two days.<\/p>\n

\"A
The pope is expected to express opposition to some of the more liberal policies enacted in UruguayImage: Lucas Aguayo Araos\/Anadolu\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What will Pope Leo do in Argentina?<\/h2>\n

On Sunday, Leo will cross over to neighboring Argentina, the home of his papal predecessor Francis<\/a>, who, however, disappointed his native compatriots by never returning home as pope.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of Francis’s papacy, some 71% of Argentinians identified as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center. By 2024, this had fallen to 58%.<\/p>\n

\"A
Leo will hope his visit makes up for the refusal by his predecessor to visit his home countryImage: Agustin Marcarian\/REUTERS<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leo is set to meet with Argentinian President Javier Milei, who has come under criticism from the Catholic Church for his sweeping cuts that have hampered programs for the poor and needy.<\/p>\n

He is also planning to meet with business leaders, trade unions, workers and social representatives.<\/p>\n

Pope Leo to return to Peru for last leg of trip<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0final leg of the trip, on Wednesday, will see Leo return to Peru, where he lived and preached for two decades.<\/p>\n

There is excitement about his visit to Peru, with the pope planning to celebrate Mass in his old diocese of Chiclayo as well as in the mountain village of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.<\/p>\n

The pope will also celebrate Mass in the former Incan capital city of Cusco before honoring Peru’s indigenous population by traveling to Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon.<\/p>\n

The excitement can be seen in the street vendors selling T-shirts and rosaries with his likeness, while bakeries have been selling Leo bread.<\/p>\n

Peru has also seen a weakening of the faithful in recent years, with the Catholic population falling from 76% in 2013-2014 to around 67% now.<\/p>\n

\"A
Peruvian Catholics have shown particular interest in the pope’s visit as a type of homecomingImage: Martin Mejia\/AP Photo\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on Friday at the start of a grueling 12-day tour through three South American countries, just weeks after his lung cancer surgery.<\/a><\/p>\n

The 71-year-old pontiff told\u00a0reporters he was very happy to be in Uruguay, having flown a nearly 14-hour flight from Rome to get to Montevideo.<\/a><\/p>\n

“I confess that from the first day, I had no doubt and was convinced that this trip had to go forward,”\u00a0he told reporters aboard the papal plane.<\/p>\n

Leo hit the ground running on arrival, drawing huge crowds in Montevideo as he pulled into town in his open-sided popemobile.<\/p>\n

The Vatican estimated 30,000 people had turned out to watch him go by and attend his first event in a country that is largely secular and where membership in the Church is declining.<\/p>\n

“In an age \u200cwhen \u200bdifferences can easily become a source of\u00a0conflict, persevering \u200bin respect for the law, negotiation and\u00a0the \u2060patient \u200bsearch for \u200bagreements is a service \u200bthat Uruguay \u200ccan\u00a0continue to offer its neighbors,” \u200bLeo \u2060told crowds in Montevideo’s main square.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Uruguayan President Yamandu\u00a0Orsi, leader of the center-left alliance, was present there too.<\/p>\n

Leo is then planning to visit the Casavalle neighborhood, which is notorious for its high rates of poverty and violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With starting in Uruguay, Leo marks the\u00a0first papal visit to the country in nearly four decades, with\u00a0Pope John Paul II having last visited in 1988.<\/p>\n

The pontiff will spend three days in Uruguay before heading on to Argentina on Sunday.<\/p>\n

He then travels to Peru, where he spent half his priestly life, before he was elected pontiff last year. He became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Latin America is home to around 40% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics<\/a>, for whom the pope is their spiritual leader. However, fewer and fewer people on the continent identify as Catholic.<\/p>\n

Uruguay, the most secular Latin American country,\u00a0was the\u00a0first country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana use and has since legalized abortion, same-sex marriage and assisted dying, all against opposition from the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

However, the enthusiasm around Leo’s visit has come as a bit of a surprise, with tickets for his prayer vigil at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium selling out in just two days.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Leo will cross over to neighboring Argentina, the home of his papal predecessor Francis<\/a>, who, however, disappointed his native compatriots by never returning home as pope.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of Francis’s papacy, some 71% of Argentinians identified as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center. By 2024, this had fallen to 58%.<\/p>\n

Leo is set to meet with Argentinian President Javier Milei, who has come under criticism from the Catholic Church for his sweeping cuts that have hampered programs for the poor and needy.<\/p>\n

He is also planning to meet with business leaders, trade unions, workers and social representatives.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0final leg of the trip, on Wednesday, will see Leo return to Peru, where he lived and preached for two decades.<\/p>\n

There is excitement about his visit to Peru, with the pope planning to celebrate Mass in his old diocese of Chiclayo as well as in the mountain village of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.<\/p>\n

The pope will also celebrate Mass in the former Incan capital city of Cusco before honoring Peru’s indigenous population by traveling to Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon.<\/p>\n

The excitement can be seen in the street vendors selling T-shirts and rosaries with his likeness, while bakeries have been selling Leo bread.<\/p>\n

Peru has also seen a weakening of the faithful in recent years, with the Catholic population falling from 76% in 2013-2014 to around 67% now.<\/p>\n

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[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/79882614_6.jpg”] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5P8VU Prefer DW on Google Uruguay’s President Yamandu Orsi welcomed Pope Leo as he landed in Carrasco International Airport Image: Simone Risoluti\/Vatican Media\/Handout\/REUTERS Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on Friday at the start of a grueling 12-day tour through three South American countries, just weeks after his lung cancer surgery. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2242526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2242526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242526\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2242526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2242526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2242526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}