Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Uruguay to Start 12 Day Latin America Tour
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay on Friday, November 6, 2026, to start a 12 day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. He landed at Carrasco International Airport at 4:30 p.m. local time after a flight of more than 13 hours from Rome. Huge crowds turned out to greet him on his first visit to the Americas since his election in May 2025. He met President Yamandu Orsi and government officials, then led an evening vespers service at the Montevideo cathedral that ended at 9 p.m. local time. The tour runs from November 6 to 17 and will take him to 10 cities across the three countries.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What We Know |
|---|---|
| Arrival date | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| Arrival city | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Airport | Carrasco International Airport |
| Landing time | 4:30 p.m. local time |
| Flight time from Rome | More than 13 hours |
| Tour dates | November 6 to 17, 2026 |
| Countries on the tour | Uruguay, Argentina and Peru |
| Crowd estimate | 30,000 people, according to the Vatican |
| First evening event | Vespers at Montevideo cathedral, ending at 9 p.m. |
| Age of Pope Leo XIV | 71 years old |
| Last papal visit to Uruguay | St John Paul II in 1988 |
| Scale of the tour | 14 flights, 36 speeches and around 50 events in 10 cities |
| Total distance | More than 20,000 miles |
A Long Flight Ends in Montevideo
The arrival in Montevideo marked the end of a very long journey from Rome. Pope Leo XIV spent more than 13 hours in the air before his plane touched down at Carrasco International Airport at 4:30 p.m. local time on Friday, November 6, 2026. For a 71 year old leader who had major surgery only three weeks earlier, the length of the flight alone showed how much this trip means to him and to the Church in Latin America.
Yet the Pope showed no sign of slowing down on his first day. Within hours of landing, he had met the president, greeted crowds in the streets and led a major evening service in the cathedral. The message from the first day was simple. He had come to be present, to listen and to pray with the people of Uruguay, and he planned to keep a full pace through the days ahead. For readers who want the background to this journey, our earlier report on the departure from Rome explains how the tour was planned and why it matters. You can read it here: Pope Leo XIV Departs on South America Tour.
Crowds Line the Route to Greet the Pope
Huge crowds greeted Pope Leo XIV as he travelled from the airport into Montevideo. The Vatican estimated that 30,000 people had turned out to watch him go by and to attend his first event. People lined the route, waved and cheered as the Pope passed, and many stayed on for the evening service that followed. The turnout was a warm welcome for a first visit, and it showed that even in a highly secular country, a papal visit can still bring large numbers of people into the streets.
The Pope greeted Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi and government officials after his arrival. The formal welcome marks the official start of the visit, and it places the trip in the context of relations between the Vatican and Uruguay. A papal tour is a religious journey, but it is also a state visit in each country, with meetings, welcomes and official events that sit alongside Masses and prayer services.
Evening Vespers at the Montevideo Cathedral
After the airport welcome and the meeting with the president, Pope Leo XIV kept going with a second big event at the Montevideo cathedral. He presided over an evening vespers service that ended at 9 p.m. local time. Vespers is an evening prayer service, and it was a fitting way to close the first day of the tour. After the noise and movement of the crowds outside, the cathedral offered a time of quiet prayer and reflection at the end of a long day of travel.
A Trip Three Weeks After Surgery
The tour comes just three weeks after lung cancer surgery on October 13, 2026, when a cancerous tumour was removed from the right lung of Pope Leo XIV. That recent operation was on the minds of many people watching the arrival, and it raised a natural question. Was the Pope well enough to make such a long and demanding trip so soon after surgery.
His physicians declared him medically cleared on October 26, 2026, less than two weeks after the operation, and that clearance allowed the tour to go ahead as planned. The Pope spoke to reporters travelling with him about his health. He told them that he felt better than he looked, crediting God, good doctors and his healthy lifestyle with his quick recovery. He also acknowledged that some people had doubted whether he could make the gruelling trip. A 12 day tour with 14 flights, 36 speeches and around 50 events is gruelling for anyone, and it is even more so for a man of 71 who has just had part of a lung removed. The Pope did not dismiss the doubts. He pointed to his recovery and to the medical clearance he had received, and he got on with the journey.
What Happens on Saturday in Uruguay
Saturday, November 7 is a full day in Uruguay, with events in more than one place. According to the official Vatican itinerary, the Pope will fly to Paysandu in the morning for Holy Mass at Parque Paris Londres at 10:00 a.m. local time. Paysandu is a major city in the west of Uruguay, and the Mass there will bring the tour to people outside the capital on only the second day of the visit.
After the Mass, the Pope will return to Montevideo for the rest of the day. The afternoon and evening in the capital include three separate meetings, each with a different part of Uruguayan society. At 5:00 p.m., he will meet with the social community of Casavalle at the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Casavalle is a neighbourhood with heavy gang violence, and the visit there is one of the most meaningful stops on the Uruguay leg. It takes the Pope to a place where daily life is shaped by insecurity, and where the Church works closely with people facing real hardship.
At 6:00 p.m., he will meet with the education community at the Catholic University of Uruguay. That meeting will bring him together with students, teachers and staff, and it will focus on the role of education and faith in the life of young Uruguayans. At 7:00 p.m., the day will close with a prayer vigil at the Centenary Stadium. These Saturday events are scheduled, not completed, at the time of writing. They show the shape of the second day, and they underline how intense the tour will be from the start.
Why Uruguay Matters on This Tour
Uruguay may be the smallest country on this tour in terms of size, but it matters for reasons that go beyond numbers. It is the least Catholic and most secular country in the region, and a papal visit here is a test of how the Church speaks in a society where religion plays a smaller public role than in many neighbouring countries. The Pope cannot rely on habit or tradition to fill the churches. He must speak in a way that reaches people who may not attend Mass every week, but who still turn out in large numbers to see him.
Our earlier coverage of the Pope at the Vatican gives more context to his public role and to the people he has met in Rome since his election. One recent meeting brought together faith and culture in an unexpected way, and it is worth reading alongside this tour coverage: Bob Dylan Meets Pope Leo at the Vatican. The first day in Montevideo has already given the tour a strong start. A long flight, a warm welcome, a meeting with the president and an evening of prayer in the cathedral all came together in a single day. For Uruguay, a country that last welcomed a pope in 1988, the arrival itself was already a historic moment.
How long is the Latin America tour of Pope Leo XIV?
The tour runs for 12 days, from November 6 to 17, 2026. It covers Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, with 14 flights, 36 speeches and around 50 events in 10 cities, covering more than 20,000 miles in total.
When did Pope Leo XIV arrive in Uruguay?
He arrived in Montevideo on Friday, November 6, 2026, landing at Carrasco International Airport at 4:30 p.m. local time after a flight of more than 13 hours from Rome. The Vatican estimated that 30,000 people turned out to greet him and attend his first event.
What did the Pope do on his first evening in Montevideo?
After meeting President Yamandu Orsi and government officials, he presided over an evening vespers service at the Montevideo cathedral. The service ended at 9 p.m. local time, closing a full first day that began with a long haul flight from Rome.
Is the Pope well enough to travel after his recent surgery?
He had lung cancer surgery on October 13, 2026, when a cancerous tumour was removed from his right lung, and his physicians declared him medically cleared on October 26, 2026. He told reporters travelling with him that he felt better than he looked, crediting God, good doctors and his healthy lifestyle with his quick recovery. Anyone with health concerns should talk to their own doctor, as this article is general information only and not medical advice.
Sources
- Vatican: Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, November 6 to 17, 2026
- Glasgow Times: Crowds cheer as Pope Leo arrives in Uruguay to start South American tour
- People Daily: Pope Leo XIV arrives in Uruguay starting 12 day Latin America tour
Final Thoughts
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay as a traveller who had just crossed an ocean, as a leader only three weeks past major surgery and as a pope returning to a region he knows from two decades of life and work in Peru. His first day in Montevideo brought all of those threads together in a few hours. A long flight ended at 4:30 p.m., crowds of 30,000 people lined the route, a president welcomed him, and evening prayer in the cathedral closed the day at 9 p.m.
The tour ahead will be long, busy and demanding. Saturday will take him to Paysandu and back to Montevideo for meetings in Casavalle, at the Catholic University and at the Centenary Stadium. Sunday will take him to Florida and then on to Buenos Aires. Peru will follow, with Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, before the return to Rome on November 17. If the first day is any guide, the Pope will meet each stage with the same pace and the same closeness to the people who came to see him.
