Pope Leo XIV landed in Uruguay on November 6, 2026, at the start of a 12-day journey through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. His lung cancer surgery three weeks earlier had put the entire trip into question. The trip is his longest and most far-reaching as pope.
How Pope Leo’s Arrival in Uruguay Unfolded
The pope left Rome on November 6. His plane touched down at Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo at 4:30 p.m. local time (19:30 GMT), and an official welcome ceremony followed. Later that day he met with Uruguay’s President Yamandu Orsi at Plaza Independencia and went on to the cathedral in Montevideo.
In his first public messages of the trip, Leo urged South American countries to work together on regional issues and to set an example of international cooperation. Security was heavy. Uruguay deployed some 5,000 police officers and 1,000 soldiers.
The Uruguay stop ran from November 6 to 8, with visits to Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida. The schedule also included a stop in the Casavalle neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital and a prayer vigil at Centenario Stadium. The official motto for this leg is “I bring you news of great joy”, a line from the angel’s announcement to the shepherds in Bethlehem.
Why the Trip Matters for the Pope and the Region
The 71-year-old pope had surgery to remove a tumor in October, and this is his first major overseas visit since the operation. The itinerary is packed. It ranks among the most intense papal foreign trips in decades.
Latin America carries a lot of weight for the Catholic Church. The region is home to around 40% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The tour also has personal meaning for Leo, who served for decades as a missionary and Bishop in Peru. Before leaving, he said he looked forward to returning to a region “so dear to me”.
Argentina has waited a long time for a papal visit. Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, never went home after his 2013 election.
Background: Uruguay, an Unusual First Stop
Uruguay has about 3.5 million people and is known as Latin America’s most secular country. Church and state have long been kept separate there. The last pope to visit was John Paul II, in 1988.
Uruguay’s laws also differ from Catholic teaching on several issues. It was the first country in Latin America to legalize euthanasia through legislation, and in 2012 it became the second country in the region, after Cuba, to legalize abortion.
Guzmán Carriquiry, a Uruguayan who once led the Vatican’s pontifical commission for Latin America, said the visit was starting to change attitudes: “It seems that the pope’s presence is shifting something here”.
What to Watch Next on the Tour
- Argentina: The pope was scheduled to celebrate Mass in the city of Florida on Sunday before departing for Buenos Aires, the second stop.
- Peru: The tour ends in Peru. Stops include the former Inca capital of Cusco and the Amazon rainforest, along with a private visit in his former diocese of Chiclayo to a chapel he helped rebuild.
- Callao: The pope will also visit this port city, where a towering, 14-metre (46-foot) statue of Leo has been put up.
FAQ
– Why did the surgery put the trip in doubt?
Pope Leo had lung cancer surgery three weeks before he left. That raised questions about whether he could manage a long trip with many stops. He went ahead on schedule on November 6.
– Why does Peru matter so much to Pope Leo?
He lived for two decades as a missionary in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship. He also served as a bishop there, in the diocese of Chiclayo.
– When was the last papal visit to Uruguay?
It was in 1988, when Pope John Paul II traveled there. Leo’s visit is the first by a pope since then.