Pope Leo XIV Begins South America Tour in Uruguay, Ending November 17
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on November 6 and was received by President Yamandú Orsi. It is the first stop of a South American tour that runs until November 17.
Key points
- Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on November 6, the first stop of a South American tour.
- Uruguay hosts him until November 8, then he travels to Argentina until November 11 and then to Peru. The tour ends on November 17.
- In Montevideo he was received by President Yamandú Orsi and greeted people from the Rambla, where he swapped the official car for a popemobile.
- The official events planned for the first day are described in the future tense. There is no confirmation yet of how they unfolded.
- The texts frame the trip differently: one news outlet presents it as his first visit to Latin America, and another as a return to the region.
What happened
Pope Leo XIV arrived on November 6 at Carrasco International Airport, in the department of Canelones, aboard an Airbus A330-900neo from ITA Airways, known as El Pastor. From the top of the boarding stairs he sent his first greeting to Uruguayans. In the terminal he shook hands with President Yamandú Orsi and received honors from the Armed Forces reserved for heads of state. Officials and church dignitaries led by Cardinal Daniel Sturla also greeted him.
From Base No. 1 of the Uruguayan Air Force he headed to Montevideo in an official vehicle. Along the Rambla, facing the Río de la Plata, he greeted people who had gathered along the route. At the height of Playa Ramírez he swapped the official car for a popemobile, a surprise for those waiting on the coast. According to the information released, that vehicle was built on a Fiat double-cab pickup by the Uruguayan company Nordex. The pope will also use a locally made mini popemobile at his public events.
There are two figures for the crowd, and they refer to different moments. Hundreds of people witnessed the vehicle change, while thousands greeted him along the whole route. In both cases the turnout was large.
The first day's program
According to the program announced for this day, the official welcome will take place at Plaza Independencia, where the remains of national hero José Artigas rest. There the pope will deliver his first speech before senior authorities, the diplomatic corps, representatives of civil society and citizens. The event will include a youth orchestra, 250 voices from the Sodre choir, a public cultural institution, and a drum ensemble that will play candombe rhythms.
Afterward, a private meeting with Orsi is planned, followed by a broader meeting with the cabinet and former presidents of the republic. Then, at the former Cabildo building, he will receive the Keys to the City. The day will end with a homily at the Metropolitan Cathedral, addressed to bishops, priests, deacons, religious men and women, and seminarians.
The available texts describe these events in the future tense, so it is not yet possible to confirm how they unfolded.
The tour's dates
Uruguay hosts the pope until November 8 and Argentina until November 11. He then travels to Peru, and the tour ends on November 17, according to the dispatch consulted. The texts do not specify how many days he will spend in Peru or the exact day that stage begins.
France 24 describes a 12-day trip. Counting both endpoints, from November 6 to November 17, that is twelve days, so the two references match. The network does not detail that count, and there is no full program by country to confirm it.
Context
The trip has a nuance the texts do not fully clarify. France 24 presents this visit to Uruguay as the pope's first to Latin America. In another report from the same network, the tour appears as a return to the region, where the pope has a personal and pastoral relationship. The two framings are not explained by each other, and the texts do not say whether the first visit refers to his papacy or to something else. What they do describe is the purpose of strengthening the ties of the Catholic Church with Latin America.
Peru carries its own weight. According to the reports, it is the country that hosted the pope for a long time, when he was still a bishop, and where he became a citizen. That is why the final stage has a personal component as well as a pastoral one.
A dispatch from the Cuban agency Prensa Latina says the tour was in doubt because of a lung cancer operation the pope underwent on October 13. That information does not appear in the France 24 reports consulted, and the texts do not cite an official statement confirming it. It should be treated with caution until there is a more detailed confirmation.
The same France 24 report includes the opinion of a historian specializing in the history of the Catholic Church, but the available text does not record his arguments, so we do not reflect them here.
What's next
After Uruguay, the pope will travel to Argentina until November 11 and then to Peru, where the tour ends on November 17.
According to France 24, the visit will unfold around three themes: politics, meetings with victims of sexual abuse committed by priests, and artificial intelligence. There are yet no dates, venues or detailed program for those meetings, nor for the masses that, according to the same network, people are eagerly awaiting. No agenda has been published for Argentina or Peru in the available texts.
FAQ
How long is the pope's tour of South America?
It begins on November 6 and ends on November 17. Counting both endpoints, that is twelve days. Uruguay hosts him until November 8 and Argentina until November 11. He then travels to Peru, although the texts do not give the exact date that stage begins.
Is it known what happened at Plaza Independencia?
Not yet. The texts describe the speech, the visit to the Cabildo to receive the Keys to the City, the meeting with Orsi and the homily as planned events. What is described as having happened is the airport arrival, the drive along the Rambla and the switch to the popemobile.
Why does Peru have special significance on this trip?
According to the reports, it is the country that hosted the pope for a long time, when he was a bishop, and where he became a citizen. That makes it a stop with a personal component as well as a pastoral one.
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