Three weeks after lung surgery, Pope Leo says he’s in ‘fairly good shape’ as he starts South America tour

Three weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from his right lung, Pope Leo XIV expressed that he is "in fairly good shape" as he embarked on a 12-day tour of South America. The 71-year-old pontiff kicked off his sixth international tour in Uruguay, visiting the country where he spent considerable time as a missionary.

The pope's journey encompasses Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, allowing him to meet with political leaders, prisoners, and the impoverished, as well as revisit old acquaintances. Thousands of supporters waved yellow-and-white Vatican flags in Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, to welcome him. However, the enthusiasm was comparatively muted in Argentina, Latin America's most secular nation, compared to his recent visits to France and Spain.

In a small, partially empty Plaza Independencia, the pope lamented Uruguay's alarmingly high suicide rates and called for accessible healthcare for all. He emphasized that his own post-cancer treatment experience inspired him to urge, "not to be afraid" for those facing similar diagnoses.

Leo will celebrate Mass in Paysandu, a city in western Uruguay, where an estimated 30,000 pilgrims are expected. He will subsequently return to Montevideo to visit Casavalle, the area with the highest homicide rate in the capital, the Catholic University, and the Centenario Stadium. At the latter location, Pope Leo will deliver a prayer vigil for 60,000 people.

This visit marks the first papal trip to Uruguay in nearly four decades. The Church's first US-born pontiff, Pope Leo, expressed his intention to deliver a message of "hope" to Latin America, a continent that deeply influenced his upbringing. Despite tensions between Uruguay's liberal stance and the Catholic Church on matters like same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia, Leo championed the protection of unborn life while discussing specific Uruguayan concerns, including the country's alarming suicide rates.

As an ardent environmentalist, Leo commended Uruguay's impressive success in transitioning its economy to renewable energy sources. On his plane journey, Leo mentioned his participation in the US midterm elections, becoming the first pope to vote in a political election, a historical first as a mail-in ballot. He stated that he is "proud to be an American" and exercised his voting right.

Leo's visit to Peru, a nation to which he devoted nearly two decades as a missionary and considers one of his "many homes," promises to be a significant highlight of his tour. The Church's first US-born pope has clashed with US President Donald Trump over Middle East affairs and will travel to Argentina, the birthplace of his predecessor Pope Francis, who had not visited Argentina during his papacy. The pope's trip is seen as a double homecoming, as Peruvian citizens are celebrating the return of their countryman.