After lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV champions universal healthcare during Uruguay speech weeks later
A personal appeal for care
Speaking in Montevideo on Friday, Leo linked his call for healthcare access to his own recent illness and hospital stay. He had been discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital four days after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung.
Leo said the experience had made him think of people without the means to obtain prompt diagnoses or treatment. His doctors said he needed no additional treatment after the operation and had cleared him to travel.
A journey through Latin America
The trip marks his first return as pope to a region that shaped his outlook and where he spent decades: first as an Augustinian missionary, then as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. Leo has U.S. and Peruvian citizenship.
Equality and economic opportunity
He also discussed children’s welfare, including that of the unborn. Uruguay legalized abortion in 2012, becoming one of the first countries in Latin America to do so.
Children, work and technology
He said technology should serve people rather than replace workers. The pope is also expected to meet survivors of clerical sex abuse; no further details were available.
Key points
- Leo called for universal healthcare after reflecting on his recent lung cancer surgery and hospitalization.
- His 12-day Latin America trip begins in Uruguay and also includes Argentina and Peru.
- Leo urged economic opportunity to reach everyone and called for quality education for children.
- He said artificial intelligence should serve people, not replace workers.