Pope Leo Draws 40,000 to First South America Mass After Surgery

Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in South America on Saturday in the Uruguayan city of Paysandú, where the Vatican said about 40,000 people turned up despite morning rain. The Associated Press and The Independent reported that the pope, who had lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13, used the occasion to call for bridges of fraternity and faith in Latin America's most secular country.

The Mass opened a 12-day, three-nation tour that had been in doubt after the operation. Leo also won over the crowd with a tribute to mate, the shared herbal tea that is a national symbol in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

The numbers behind the first day

• 40,000: the Vatican's estimate for the Mass at a park in Paysandú. According to The Independent, more than 30,000 people had registered in advance and about 10,000 more arrived unannounced. Many came from Argentina and Brazil.
• 100,000: the estimated turnout, per the AP, at Saturday evening's prayer vigil at Montevideo's Centenario Stadium. The same stadium hosted Pope John Paul II on the last papal visit to Uruguay, in 1988.
• 12 days: the length of the tour, which continues to Argentina and then Peru. Uruguay is the first stop.
• 3.5 million: the population of Uruguay, the country the pope is encouraging to draw on Catholic faith in facing modern challenges, according to The Independent.
• About 9 kilograms (about 20 pounds): the dried mate leaf Uruguayans use per person each year, by industry estimates, more than people anywhere else.
• One in four: the share of children from the poorest households who graduate from high school in Uruguay, compared with nearly nine out of 10 from the wealthiest families, according to the National Institute for Educational Evaluation, cited by the AP.

What Leo said in Paysandú and Montevideo

Speaking in Spanish, Leo said the Catholic faith has been part of Uruguayan life since the country's earliest days and must be handed to future generations with "creative courage." He pointed to the nearby bridge over the Uruguay River, which links Uruguay and Argentina and which many pilgrims crossed to reach the Mass, as an image of the fraternity he was urging.

He then turned to mate, which is sipped through a metal straw from a gourd passed among friends, family and sometimes strangers. The pope said the ritual "teaches us to share and to be together," and called it a sign of welcome and shared values. He suggested the same spirit should guide how faith is spread. The Independent reported that the remarks drew applause and a smile from Leo.

Later, Leo visited Casavalle, a Montevideo area troubled by drug trafficking and gang violence. The AP reported that church groups there have built homes, created job opportunities and run drug rehabilitation programs, with donations that include money from The Papal Foundation, a U.S.-based group of wealthy Catholics. The Independent said the church works with municipal authorities on housing and rehabilitation.

Leo praised that work and urged Christians to follow the example of the good Samaritan. He said Uruguay cannot ignore that some children stay away from school out of fear of not returning home.

Why it matters: a test of the church's reach in a secular country

The AP described Uruguay as a place where even Catholic holidays carry secular names and God cannot be mentioned in oaths of office. The visit is meant to present the faith as an answer to present-day problems and the church as a willing partner in tackling them, from housing to addiction to school dropout.

The turnout also bears on the pope's health and the tour itself. Pilgrims interviewed by the AP and The Independent expressed emotion that Leo went ahead with the trip. "He pushed through for us," said Soledad Sánchez, 73, who drove from northern Uruguay.

Some attendees said the crowds challenged Uruguay's image of religious indifference. Teresa Sabellini, 18, of Paysandú, said many young people in her town are searching for meaning and community. Others were drawn by the pope himself: Jorge Monzón, 64, said he is not religious and would not normally attend Mass, but felt a sense of communion. The Independent also noted that Paysandú itself stayed quiet, with few decorations and only scattered Vatican flags.

What comes next on the tour

After leaving Uruguay, Leo will visit Buenos Aires, Luján and Córdoba in Argentina, then travel to Peru, which the pope regards as his second homeland and the last stop on the tour, according to The Independent. The report said Paysandú's position across the river from the Argentine city of Colón made it easier for many Argentines to reach than the stops scheduled inside Argentina.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, The Independent