Pope Leo XIV kicks off 3-day Uruguay trip weeks after lung surgery

Pope Leo XIV has touched down in Uruguay to open a three-day visit, per the Associated Press. It's the start of a South American swing for the pontiff, and the timing is the headline: he's traveling less than a month after lung surgery.

That's a fast turnaround. Lung surgery typically comes with a recovery window measured in weeks, not days, so a multi-day overseas trip this soon puts his stamina squarely in the spotlight.

Uruguay is the first stop on the itinerary. The AP reports the visit runs three days, with the rest of the South American tour following from there.

Details on his schedule, public appearances and any events in Uruguay weren't included in the initial report. Expect more to surface as the trip unfolds.

For now, the takeaway is simple: the pope is back on the road, and he chose South America as his first long haul since going under the knife.