Pope wraps up Uruguay visit and heads to most fraught stop of his tour in Milei’s Argentina

Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit to Uruguay on Sunday, commemorating a significant Catholic feast day that underscores the church's role in Latin America's most secular nation. This marks the final leg of his three-nation tour of South America, which is anticipated to be politically sensitive due to the church's criticism of Argentine President Javier Milei's austerity program.

In Uruguay, Leo commemorated the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three, a tradition observed annually by thousands of pilgrims who gather to pray before the wooden icon of the Virgin Mary. The statue was carried by 33 independence patriots when they declared Uruguay's independence from Brazil on August 25, 1825.

Pope Leo XIV was the first pontiff in nearly four decades to visit Uruguay, aiming to remind the nation that the Catholic Church is an integral part of their identity. Despite undergoing surgery for lung cancer in October, Leo appeared in good form during his visit, engaging enthusiastically with the crowds.

The Pope's trip to Argentina is intended to finalize Pope Francis' unfinished business. Argentine Jesuit Pope Francis never returned to Buenos Aires during his 12-year papacy, a fact that has sparked disagreement among friends and foes. Leo aims to reinforce the church's identity within Argentina, despite the country's deepening secularization and occasional anti-clericalism in recent decades.