Pope Leo XIV departs for Uruguay as he begins tour of South America

Leo is scheduled to head on to Argentina, where he is due to visit Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján. In Peru, the pontiff is also scheduled to appear in Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa.

Pope Leo XIV set off for Uruguay on Friday as he begins a tour of South America that will also see him visit Argentina and Peru, where he worked for years as a missionary and then bishop.

Chicago-born Leo’s flight took off from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport shortly after 7 am on Friday, the Vatican said.

He is expected to land in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo at around 4:30 pm local time.

Leo has a packed three-day schedule in Uruguay that includes a visit to a neighborhood plagued by gang violence.

“His stamina is fantastic. The way that he’s singing is incredible. And you can only sing if your lungs are really strong,” Maria Montserrat Alvar, the Vatican’s new communications chief, said.

“His doctors are very confident and he’ll have plenty of medical care on board should something happen, but we don’t see that in his prognosis or even in the way that he’s acting,” she added.

In Uruguay, Leo will meet with President Yamandú Orsi before delivering a welcome address to government officials and diplomats. He will also preside over Vespers at the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral. Visits to the cities of Paysandú and Florida are planned for the coming days.

Leo will then head on to Argentina, where he is due to visit Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján. In Peru, the pontiff is scheduled to appear in Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa.

The trip comes weeks after the 71-year-old underwent lung cancer surgery.

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