Pope Leo XIV’s South America Tour Blends Religion and Politics
Pope Leo XIV’s 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is the longest journey of his papacy and combines pastoral outreach with a distinct political message. The Chicago-born pontiff received an especially enthusiastic welcome in Argentina, where he called for a strong social welfare state—an approach at odds with President Javier Milei’s austerity program. Milei nevertheless praised Leo emotionally when the pope departed, while the visit prompted what one Argentine commentator described as a period of “collective empathy.”
The itinerary also reflects Leo’s support for multilateralism and international law at a time when U.S. foreign policy has become more unilateral and forceful. He has criticized the legality of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. His emphasis on the “gift of smallness” helps explain the decision to begin in Uruguay, a country known for its civic institutions, diplomacy and respect for negotiation despite having one of Latin America’s smallest Catholic populations.
Leo’s journey comes as Catholicism’s share of Latin America’s population has fallen from 80 percent in 1995 to 55 percent today, with evangelicals and the religiously unaffiliated gaining ground. Still, the decline has slowed, and Leo’s focus on poor and marginalized communities has reinforced his image as a continuation of Pope Francis’s legacy. The trip concludes in Peru, where Leo worked as a missionary, became a citizen and returns to his adopted hometown of Chiclayo.
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