Pope Leo Urges South America to Bridge Divides

Pope Leo XIV’s 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru comes weeks after he underwent lung cancer surgery. During a historic outdoor Mass in Paysandú, Uruguay, tens of thousands gathered despite heavy rain as Leo urged South Americans to bridge national and political divides, drawing on a nearby bridge between Uruguay and Argentina as a symbol of stronger ties. He called for openness, communication and cooperation on shared problems including poverty, political instability, environmental destruction and arms trafficking. In Buenos Aires, an estimated 2.5 million people attended a Mass, the largest gathering of his papacy so far. On the tour’s final leg in Peru, where he served poor communities for nearly two decades and became a citizen, Leo urged Peruvians to confront painful historical divisions with justice and sensitivity amid disputes over former president Alberto Fujimori’s legacy and continuing political instability.