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VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In Uruguay’s capital of Montevideo on Friday, the first stop on Pope Leo XIV’s 12-day trip to Latin America, the pope drew on the country’s political history to call for universal access to health care and protection of the most vulnerable.
The 70-year-old pope recently underwent surgery to remove a portion of his right lung to treat cancer. Doctors said the pontiff could journey on the demanding trip, which will also take him to Argentina and Peru, where he lived for decades as a missionary and bishop.
“Recently I experienced firsthand the limitations imposed by illness, and I received care for which I am deeply grateful,” Leo said in his first remarks to political and diplomatic representatives, adding that the experience made him aware of the many who cannot access the treatment they need.
“Ensuring that health care is accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources, is a duty that confronts every society,” he added.
Uruguay has long been a highly secularized country, with over half of its citizens being religiously unaffiliated, according to 2020 Pew data. Its national health system combines public and private providers and has been strained by high demands and costs. The country decriminalized abortion in 2012 during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, with discussions to extend the limit further, and enacted its euthanasia law in 2025.
Speaking at the Plaza de Independencia, Leo drew inspiration from the monument honoring Uruguay’s national hero, José Gervasio Artigas, who led the revolt against Spanish rule. In 1811, thousands of civilians followed Artigas and camped in what is now Argentina. The episode is known as La Redota and etched in relief around the monument.
Comparing the statue of Artigas to the relief portraying him surrounded by the Uruguayan people, Leo reflected on how “authority is received from a specific community and is accountable to that community.”
He pointed out one of the reliefs depicting a woman holding a baby in her arms to address the issue of abortion. “The unborn already belong to the human family and to the future of their people. Their absolute dependence on their mother does not diminish the dignity to which they are entitled or the protection they deserve,” he said.
But Leo also stressed that fathers and families must also offer support and that society needs to ensure both parents can raise their children. “The protection of the unborn and the support of those who welcome them are inseparable,” he said.
He also highlighted the relief of an elderly woman, as a reminder to help and support those who need it. “It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that each person can live with dignity, receive the care they need, and be accompanied until the natural end of his or her life,” he said.
Addressing the diversity of the country, the pope underlined that wealth and investments should “translate into goods and opportunities that effectively reach everyone.” He also asked that religion not be “confined to the private sphere,” offering the church’s efforts to the benefit of the country and its people.
Ahead of the visit, Guzmán Carriquiry, a Uruguayan former official of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, said the country “still has great respect for the diversity of ideological and religious convictions.”
Montevideo is the seat of the Mercosur Secretariat, the administrative office of the South American trade bloc, which the pope said offers the country the opportunity to promote cooperation and multilateralism. “In an age when differences can easily become a source of conflict, persevering in respect for the law, negotiation and the patient search for agreements is a service that Uruguay can continue to offer its neighbors,” Leo said.
In his speech, the pope also asked that Uruguay plan “for the long term” as it undergoes technological transformations, ensuring the environment and workers are protected.
Aleja Hertzler-McCain contributed to this report from Montevideo.