After cancer surgery, Pope Leo embarks on Latin America trip with a first stop in secular Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV is commencing a three-nation tour of Latin America on Friday, with the first stop being Uruguay. This visit marks the Pope’s return to public engagements just three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery, an event that had previously cast doubt on the feasibility of the trip. Notably, Uruguay is described as the least Catholic and most secular nation in the region.

• Pope Leo XIV is starting a three-nation tour of Latin America on Friday.
• The first destination is Uruguay, identified as the region’s least Catholic and most secular country.
• The trip proceeds three weeks after the Pope underwent lung cancer surgery.
• The surgery had previously raised questions about the trip’s possibility.