Pope in 'pretty good health' as he starts Latin America tour

Key points

• Pope Leo, 71, began a 12-day Latin America tour in Uruguay three weeks after tumour surgery.
• He said doctors found the cancer had not spread and described his health as quite good.
• The tour covers Argentina and Peru, where the Vatican says he is making a homecoming.

Pope Leo has arrived in Uruguay to begin a 12-day tour of Latin America, travelling only three weeks after an operation to remove a tumour. The 71-year-old pontiff said he was "very happy" to make the trip, which was put in doubt last month when doctors found the tumour during a routine scan.

On Friday he arrived in Montevideo, where crowds lined the seafront and shouted his name as his Popemobile passed. The tour will also cover Argentina and Peru, which the Vatican called a "homecoming" because the Pope was based there for many years as a missionary and then a bishop.

Pope on his health

Speaking to journalists on his plane to Uruguay, the Pope said he never doubted the journey would go ahead. He credited the medical staff and said he believed he was in quite good health. Last month's operation was successful, and his doctors say the cancer has not spread.

Thanks to the marvellous medical staff... I believe I am in quite good health

— Pope Leo

Healthcare message in Montevideo

In his first speech of the trip, at Plaza Independencia, the Pope said universal healthcare should be "accessible to everyone". He said the care he received made him think of people who lack the means to get a timely diagnosis or treatment. He ended the day with a prayer at the Montevideo Cathedral.

The Pope will travel more than 20,000 miles on his sixth international tour. On Sunday he goes to Argentina, the homeland of his predecessor Pope Francis, who did not return there during his own papacy. The Pope said the visit was about being near people seeking a message of "hope" from the Church.