MONTEVIDEO.– As he did during the flight that brought him this Friday to the capital of Uruguay, in his first speech on the Latin American continent, Pope Leo XIV once again spoke about his recent lung operation, which moved the world, and linked it to the urgent need to guarantee access to healthcare for all. "Illness, disability, physical pain, loss of autonomy, poverty, lack of work, or exclusion can make the help of others especially necessary," he said, after being received with flags and cheers by some 30,000 people in a Montevideo revolutionized by his visit. "I have recently experienced firsthand the limitations imposed by illness and have received care for which I am deeply grateful," he added. "This experience leads me to think of the many men and women who lack the means to obtain a timely diagnosis or receive the treatments they need," he continued. Pope Leo XIV attends a welcome ceremony alongside the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, in Plaza Independencia in Montevideo. Sofia TORRES / AFP - AFP "Ensuring that healthcare is within reach of every person, regardless of their resources, is a responsibility that challenges every society," he warned, drawing applause as he spoke in Spanish, with a strong voice. "Whoever goes through any of these situations does not cease to be a full member of society nor loses any of the value of their life. In those circumstances, their fragility makes it more urgent that they receive the assistance, resources, and accompaniment they need. The care owed to those who suffer commits the entire human family," he stressed, in a speech interrupted several times by applause and by the cry of "Leo! Leo!" "For the Church, this duty finds a particular reason in the mandate of Jesus Christ to recognize and serve him in the neediest," he declared. Social imprint His appeal was the prelude to the strongly social imprint that his speeches will have on this first tour of a continent full of contrasts and inequalities, which he knows well. In his nearly half-hour address, delivered while it drizzled and the wind blew, he spoke not only about health, but also about the importance of work, the common good, the dignity of the person, the family, and dialogue. Leo XIV greets the faithful who came to accompany him in Montevideo from the popemobile. Leonardo Carreño / AFP - AFP The Pope arrived at Plaza Independencia in the popemobile after traveling along the capital's rambla, where numerous faithful came out to greet him with flags, even though Uruguay is the least religious country in South America. Waiting for him were not only a red carpet, but also three former presidents: Julio María Sanguinetti, Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera, and his son, Luis Lacalle Pou, all belonging to political forces different from those of the current leader, Yamandú Orsi, of the Frente Amplio. It was a display of the spirit of political coexistence and consensus that characterizes the Eastern country, which Orsi himself highlighted in his welcome speech, in which he thanked Leo XIV "for being a clear voice on the international stage." "Today, Latin America is one of the few corners of the world that has no wars. And in Uruguay, we former presidents can sit together in peace to offer you a welcome embrace," he told him. A crowd presses against the barriers in Plaza Independencia in Montevideo to see and hear Leo XIV. Tiziana FABI / AFP - AFP In his turn, the Pope addressed various topics. Drawing inspiration from the monument to José Artigas, the national hero, which stands in the center of the square, he highlighted the virtues of this small country of three million inhabitants, where Catholics represent one third of the population and there is a marked separation between Church and State. He recalled a phrase from Artigas that linked the origin of authority and the responsibility of those who exercise it, noted that "in 2025, forty years of uninterrupted democracy in Uruguay were completed, during which different governments succeeded one another by decision of the citizens," and highlighted the importance of the common good. "The common good also includes the responsibility of passing on to those who come after us the goods we have received today. As my predecessor, Pope Francis, recalled, 'the notion of the common good also includes future generations,'" he emphasized. He then highlighted that in recent decades Uruguay has profoundly transformed its electricity generation matrix, which today relies almost entirely on renewable sources. "It is a remarkable result that has required sustained decisions over years and the participation of various sectors of the country," he praised. The crowd gathered for the presence of Leo XIV in Montevideo. Close to 30,000 people came to see him. AP/Andrew Medichini - AP He then pointed to more troubling issues, such as the demographic evolution in a country that approved the legalization of abortion in 2012 and became the first in Latin America to legalize euthanasia, a practice ratified by Orsi last April. "Those who have not yet been born already belong to the human family and to the future of their people," he declared, with a strong voice, drawing applause. He also recalled the importance of the family, education, and work. "It is worth remembering that work exists for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of work," he recalled, citing Saint John Paul II, the last Pope to visit Uruguay, in 1988. Painful reality He then touched on "the painful reality of suicide," which affects Uruguay, requiring healthcare, family bonds, and closeness of the community. Uruguay is the country with the highest suicide rate in Latin America, and in 2025 there were 19.16 deaths per 100,000, according to figures from Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health. The faithful take photos of the Pope as he heads to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Montevideo. Santiago Mazzarovich - AP "There is a culture of death in Uruguay, where there is abortion, euthanasia, a very high suicide rate, and the reason is that with laicism and the strict separation between Church and State, a poorly understood culture of secularization was generated," explained María Carolina Musitelli, a journalist from La Mañana, to LA NACION. "In Uruguay, beyond the fact that people now, many atheists, are happy about the Pope's visit, since they are distant from the Catholic Church, there is a lack of light," she opined. In Uruguay, the clear separation between State and Church in 1918 meant that cemeteries passed from ecclesiastical to state administration; it was established that civil marriage had to precede religious marriage, and even the language of daily life changed. December 25 became officially known as Family Day; January 6, Children's Day, and Holy Week, Tourism Week. "The coexistence of people from different backgrounds and traditions is also part of the history of Uruguay," the Pope finally emphasized, highlighting the country's plurality. Although he warned that "the secular character of the State is meant to guarantee a space in which believers and non-believers can coexist with freedom and respect, because there are values that are universal." Leo XIV during his speech in Plaza Independencia in Montevideo. SIMONE RISOLUTI - VATICAN MEDIA "This neutrality does not require that the religious dimension be confined to the private sphere. As the Second Vatican Council teaches, no one must be forced to act against their conscience nor prevented from acting in accordance with it, both in private and in public, individually or in association with others, within due limits," he stressed. Finally, in highlighting values such as respect and coexistence in Uruguay, he recalled that Montevideo is also the seat of the Mercosur Secretariat. In this context, he praised its vocation to foster spaces for understanding and cooperation in the region. "In times when differences can easily become a cause of confrontation, persevering in respect for the law, in negotiation, and in the patient search for agreements constitutes a service that Uruguay can continue to offer to its neighbors," he stated, in a phrase that seemed to allude to the turbulent foreign relations of neighboring Argentina. When night had already fallen, the Pope—who showed no signs of fatigue despite the time change and a flight of more than 13 hours—had another small taste of the crowd as he traveled by electric car to the Cabildo, where he received the keys to the city. He then closed an intense day—the first of a 12-day marathon through three countries—with a celebration of vespers at the Metropolitan Cathedral. By Elisabetta Piqué