Pope Leo XIV called for healthcare to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income, during a speech to Uruguay’s political and civic leaders in Montevideo on Friday, November 6. Drawing on his recent experience of illness and medical care, he said many people lack the means to obtain a timely diagnosis or necessary treatment.
“Ensuring that healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources, is a duty that confronts every society,” Leo said, according to the Vatican transcript.
The pope also argued that economic development should improve opportunities for the wider population, not only those at the top. The creation of wealth and business activity, he said, should produce benefits that reach everyone.
Leo praised Uruguay for four decades of uninterrupted democracy, while saying a country’s success should also be judged by how it protects human dignity and cares for vulnerable people. He spoke in defense of children, including the unborn, and called for access to quality education and opportunities for independence.
First stop on a Latin America trip
Uruguay is the first stop on Leo’s November 6–17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, according to the Vatican’s itinerary. He was scheduled to remain in Uruguay until Sunday before continuing to Argentina and Peru.
Leo also said technological advances and artificial intelligence should serve people rather than replace workers. His remarks in Montevideo addressed healthcare, economic opportunity and protections for people he described as vulnerable.
Nicole French