Pope Leo arrives in Uruguay after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo arrived in Uruguay on Friday to begin a 12-day tour of South America, traveling three weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a lung cancer tumor. The 71-year-old pontiff, who was born in Chicago, will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. According to the Buenos Aires Times, the Pope departed Rome’s Fiumicino airport shortly after 0600 GMT.

The trip is described by the Buenos Aires Times as one of the most intense papal foreign tours in decades. The 71-year-old, who is the first US-born pope, previously served as a missionary in Peru for nearly two decades and is a Peruvian citizen. RTE News reports that the trip is expected to attract millions of people as the Pope travels 31,000km across 10 cities and delivers 36 speeches.

Regarding his health, the Vatican stated that the Pope has recovered from his operation and that no special medical precautions are being taken for the tour. During a weekly audience in St. Peter's Square, the Pope expressed his desire to return to countries dear to him, stating he hopes the trip will strengthen faith, renew hope, and rekindle the fire of charity.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, NPR, RTE News, IOL, Buenos Aires Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.