Pope Leo arrives in Uruguay at start of South America tour

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Uruguay 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 is the first US-born pope, departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport on Friday to visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. According to the Buenos Aires Times, he underwent his operation on October 13, and the Vatican stated that no special medical precautions are necessary for the trip.

The tour is described by the Buenos Aires Times as one of the most intense papal foreign trips in decades. During the journey, the pope will visit 10 cities and give 36 speeches. RTE News reports the trip is expected to attract millions of people, while NPR notes the pope will be navigating political tensions during the tour.

The visit serves as a homecoming for the pope, who was born in Chicago but spent nearly two decades as a missionary in Peru and became a Peruvian citizen. During a weekly audience at St. Peter’s Square, he stated he was looking forward to returning to countries dear to him and expressed hope that the trip would strengthen faith, renew hope, and rekindle the fire of charity.

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