Leo XIV spends twelve days on the continent where he spent so many years - a hardship. He survived the long flight well after his cancer operation. Now he wants to talk about other things.
Montevideo. Pope Leo XIV is back in South America for the first time, where he spent two decades of his life before his election as head of the Catholic Church. At the start of a twelve-day trip, he was cheered by more than 100,000 people in Uruguay at the weekend. At the first major mass in the city of Paysandu, he called for people to pass on the faith to future generations. He also visited a slum in the capital Montevideo.
Just three and a half weeks after his cancer operation, the 71-year-old had no noticeable health problems. He obviously survived the strenuous journey with a flight of more than 13 hours well. Other stops on the trip include Argentina and the Andean country of Peru. The American-born man worked there as a missionary and bishop for many years. On the plane he said he was “very happy” about returning.
“Pope of the Two Americas”
On the South American continent, Leo's life journey from his hometown of Chicago via Peru and finally to Rome is followed very closely. The successor to the Argentine Francis is often referred to as the “Pope of the Two Americas”. It is also appreciated that he gives his speeches and sermons in almost perfect Spanish.
At a mass in front of 40,000 people, Leo called for people to spread the faith with “creative courage.” “This is the calling of all of us: to build bridges, strengthen bonds, unite and pass on the joy of faith.” On Saturday evening 70,000 people came to the stadium in Montevideo. According to the Vatican, more than 390 million people in South America profess the Catholic faith - significantly more than in Europe. There are 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
Church and state are strictly separated in Uruguay
In the first host country, Uruguay, state and church have been strictly separated from each other for more than a century. There, for example, Christmas is called “Family Day”. At the start, Leo praised the country of 3.5 million inhabitants as a model for the entire continent because of four decades of “uninterrupted democracy” with peaceful changes of government.
The Pope also appeared healthy at the mass in Paysandu, for which he had to get back on the plane. Because of his cancer, there were doubts as to whether he would even be able to make the trip. It was only in mid-October that part of his right lung containing a malignant tumor was removed. A few days later, the doctors gave the go-ahead for the trip. According to them, the Pope is now cancer-free again. He still has to give up his favorite sport, tennis.
All in all, more than 30,000 kilometers of flight
On the long outbound flight, Leo personally welcomed all of the more than 80 journalists traveling with him. When asked about the reasons for his quick recovery, he replied: “Faith in God, good doctors, good surgeons and a healthy lifestyle.” In his speech he later said: "I have personally experienced the limitations that illness brings and I am deeply grateful for the help I have received. This makes me think of the many women and men who lack the resources for an early diagnosis or for the treatment they need."
On the plane, the pontiff also discussed the midterm elections in the USA, which brought a serious defeat to President Donald Trump's Republican camp. When asked for comment, he replied: “I am proud to be an American and to exercise the right to vote.” Leo cast his vote by postal vote. Since his election, there have been several controversies between Trump and him. This could be a reason why he initially flew to his “second home”. There is speculation about a trip to the USA in 2027.
Also in the homeland of predecessor Francis
After the stop in Peru, Leo will stay in Argentina, the home of his predecessor, who died at Easter last year, until Wednesday. Francis never returned to Argentina as pope. It is assumed that he feared that he would be drawn into politics there. Both Argentina and Peru are now governed by right-wing populist heads of state, President Javier Milei and President Keiko Fujimori, whose late father was once president himself. During his time as bishop, Leo criticized him several times.
All in all, the journey covers more than 30,000 kilometers by air. Leo plans to give more than three dozen sermons and speeches in ten different cities in different climates, time and altitude zones. This also includes a trip to the Peruvian Andes at 3,700 meters, which is considered tricky because of the thin mountain air after Leo's lung operation.
Meeting again with victims of sexual abuse
According to the Vatican, Leo also wants to meet victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in South America. The church did not provide any details. Such meetings are now a frequent part of the Pope's trips abroad. As a rule, there is hardly any official information about the process afterwards. The high number of cases of abuse and the way they are dealt with have led to a massive loss of reputation for the Catholic Church in many countries.
