Pope Leo calls on Uruguay's Catholics to be 'bridge builders'

Pope Leo XIV has begun a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, marking his sixth international trip. The 71-year-old pontiff arrived in Uruguay three weeks after undergoing surgery for a tumor on his right lung. In Montevideo, thousands of people greeted the pope along the seafront, though Gulf News reported that crowds were relatively sparse compared to his recent visits to Spain and France.

During a speech in Plaza Independencia following a welcome from President Yamandu Orsi, the pope urged Catholics in Uruguay to build bridges of faith and fraternity. Gulf News reports that the pope also addressed Uruguay's high suicide rates and advocated for accessible healthcare, noting that his own experience with lung cancer highlighted the struggles of those lacking medical access.

Thousands of people from Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil gathered in the city of Paysandú for the pope's first Mass on the continent. The Winnipeg Free Press and ABC News (US) noted the large crowds arriving at the city on the Uruguay River for the service.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, ABC News (US), Winnipeg Free Press, Gulf News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.