Uruguay Pope

Pope Leo XIV is kicking off a three-nation tour of Latin America with a visit to Uruguay. The South American country is the region’s least Catholic and most secular country. The trip comes three weeks after he underwent lung cancer surgery that had put the entire trip into question. Leo is due to arrive in Montevideo on Friday after a 13½-hour flight from Rome. He has a packed three-day itinerary including a visit to a neighborhood plagued by gang violence and a Mass in Paysandú. The city is around 375 kilometers or 230 miles from the capital. The pope has another Mass in Florida. That city is about 100 kilometers or 60 miles away from Montevideo. Vatican officials say his stamina is “fantastic” and that he's eager to get on the road.