MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on the afternoon of Nov. 6, telling journalists aboard his 13-hour transatlantic flight from Rome that he was “convinced that this trip had to go forward” following lung cancer surgery a little more than three weeks earlier.
“I know some people were doubtful about this trip taking place. I confess that from the first day I had no doubt and was convinced that this trip had to go forward,” Pope Leo told journalists as the papal plane flew over North Africa.
“And I’m very happy to say, praise the Lord, and thanks to wonderful medical assistance, I’m here today, I think, in fairly good shape. So you’re the witnesses of that.”
The 71-year-old pope appeared energetic as he interacted with journalists aboard the plane at the start of his 12-day journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for Nov. 6-17.
Pope Leo’s advice when facing a cancer diagnosis
Asked by OSV News during the flight what advice he would offer people facing their own cancer diagnosis, Pope Leo responded, “Not to be afraid.”
“Early detection is obviously the best way to go, and so regular check-ups are a blessing. And, take care of yourselves,” Pope Leo added.
A journalist from NBC News asked the pope what was his secret to making such a quick recovery. He responded, “Trust in God, good doctors, good surgeons, and overall, a healthy lifestyle.”
The pope said that faith gave him the strength to face difficulties. “It is faith,” he said. “And the Lord who is very generous to me.”
Pope Leo also told OSV News that during the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Lourdes during his last international journey to France in late September, “there were no signs of any difficulties” with his health.
“I was much more concerned about the health of those there,” he added, referring to the many sick and disabled pilgrims who traveled to Lourdes to pray with the pope at the Marian apparition site.
Pope Leo told The New York Times that the experience of being sick gave him “a sense of commitment of wanting to continue to be close to those who are sick.” He added that he planned to speak in Uruguay about “how healthcare should be a right of all people.”
The pope is making the trip just 24 days after undergoing a lobectomy surgery for a localized lung adenocarcinoma on Oct. 13. During the surgery, doctors removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung. The pope’s doctors confirmed the following week that the pope did not require further oncological treatment after surgery.
Asked by the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, what he read while recovering during his five-day hospital stay after cancer surgery, the pope responded, “my breviary, a prayer book, and newspapers.”
Pope Leo says he is ‘proud to be an American’
Several journalists aboard the plane asked Pope Leo about his decision to vote in the U.S. midterm elections, to which the pope replied to CNN, “I’m proud to be an American and to exercise the right” to vote. But when asked about the election results in Texas, Pope Leo replied, “No comment.”
Pope Leo, who became a naturalized citizen of Peru in 2015, noted that he did not vote in the Peruvian presidential elections earlier this year because it was not possible, adding that he would have voted if he could have.
Pope calls Peru ‘one of my many homes’
The trip marks Pope Leo’s first visit to Latin America since his election and brings him back to a region that shaped his ministry as an Augustinian missionary priest and bishop in Peru. The final and longest leg of the journey will take him to Peru, where he spent decades as a missionary priest and later led the Diocese of Chiclayo.
Reflecting on the trip ahead, Pope Leo said that he was happy to be returning to Peru, which he called “one of my many homes.”
The pope did not reveal much about where he plans to travel next in 2027. Asked if he would like to travel to Santiago de Compostela for the jubilee year of the Spanish pilgrimage destination, the pope said he wanted to go, but added that wanting to go is different from being able to go.
Pope wants to proclaim ‘the good news’ in secular Uruguay
The papal plane, a chartered ITA Airways flight, touched down in Uruguay’s Montevideo-Carrasco International Airport at about 4:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m. EST) after flying more than 6,900 miles over France, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, the Atlantic Ocean and Brazil.
The motto for the pope’s trip to Uruguay is “I bring you good news of a great joy” (Lk 2:10), underscoring the importance of evangelization during Pope Leo’s visit to the most secularized country in South America.
Christians make up 44% of the population, the lowest share in Latin America, according to the Pew Research Center. The visit will be the first papal visit to the country since St. John Paul II visited in 1988.
In his comments to journalists, Pope Leo repeatedly emphasized his desire to proclaim the Gospel during his apostolic journey.
“The primary reason for making this trip is to continue the mission of the bishop of Rome — of the pope — in sharing the joy of the Gospel, announcing the good news, and walking together with people, expressing that closeness which is so important for people, whether in their moments of joy or in their moments of sorrow, that they very much are looking for the message of hope in today’s world,” Pope Leo said.
The pope also took the opportunity to personally introduce the new prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Maria Montserrat Alvarado, whom he called “Montse.”
“Now we have the wonderful experience, the creativity, and the life and liveliness of Montse, who will be accompanying us on this trip and helping the Vatican and myself in the very important dimension of communications, so welcome Montse,” he said.
Three days in Uruguay before heading to Argentina
Montevideo is Uruguay’s capital, principal port and most populous city. The pope’s first stop in the capital will be Independence Square for an official welcome ceremony, where he will address Uruguay’s civil authorities before meeting one-on-one with President Yamandú Orsi.
The pope will next meet with the local Catholic community in Montevideo’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Sts. Philip and James before ending a long day of travel at the country’s apostolic nunciature.
On Nov. 7, the pope will fly to the city of Paysandú, a cultural and economic hub on Uruguay’s border with Argentina, to celebrate Mass. Upon returning to Montevideo in the afternoon, he will visit Casavalle, a poor neighborhood of the city, where he will hear testimonies from local residents before presiding over an evening prayer vigil at the soccer stadium that hosted the first World Cup.
On his final day in Uruguay, Pope Leo will celebrate the country’s patroness, Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, on the morning of Nov. 8. The date coincides with the annual pilgrimage to the national Marian shrine, which is closely tied to the country’s independence movement. The pope will then fly to Argentina, where he will visit Nov. 8-11.
Asked by The Washington Post whether the Argentina leg of the trip would be about remembering Pope Francis, Pope Leo reiterated that spreading the Gospel is the main reason for the apostolic visit.
“I’m sure there will be many important connections (with the late pope), but it’s not the primary business” of the trip, Pope Leo said, adding that the visit’s main purpose is to proclaim the Gospel.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
