Pope Francis visits South America, expresses pride in being an American and exercising his rights in voting in U.S. midterm elections

Pope Leo

According to the Associated Press, he responded as follows when asked about the meaning of his participation in voting in the midterm election at an in-flight press conference during his trip to South America.

He is from Chicago, Illinois, and participated in the recent U.S. midterm elections by voting by mail. It was the first time in history that a sitting Pope participated in a secular election.

Pope Leo, however, declined to comment on the results of the election, which ended in a landslide victory for the Democratic Party.

The Vatican explained in a press release on the 30th of last month that Pope Leo has voted whenever possible to show that he believes in the value of citizen participation and that he believes in the rights and obligations of citizens to participate in democratic procedures.

However, this is the first time that Pope Leo has directly mentioned participation in the U.S. midterm elections.

Pope Leo not only holds American citizenship, which he has maintained since birth, but also holds nationality from Peru, where he served in the past, and from Vatican City as a high-ranking priest of the Catholic Church.

He voted when he lived in Peru, but was unable to participate in the recent Peruvian election because absentee voting was not possible. He said, "If I could, I would have voted. (Participating in voting) is a good thing."

The Pope, who underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung on the 13th of last month, emphasized the importance of early screening, saying, "Thanks to God and the excellent medical staff, I am in quite good condition."

Pope Leo arrived in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, on the 6th (local time), was received by Uruguay President Yamando Orsi at Carrasco International Airport, and attended a welcome event held at the square.

This is the first time a sitting Pope has visited Uruguay since John Paul II in 1988.

In his speech at the square, he urged South American countries to cooperate with each other on regional issues and said, "In an era when differences can easily become a cause of conflict, respecting the law, negotiating, and persevering in our efforts to find consensus are the contributions that Uruguay can continue to provide to its neighbors."

Pope Leo plans to visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru for a total of 12 days.