Papal diplomat: Pope Leo XIV brings ‘message of hope’ to South America

A papal diplomat to North American and South American countries said Pope Leo XIV brings a “message of hope” to the people.

Leo, who was born in the United States and spent more than 20 years in Peru, traveled to Uruguay this weekend. He is in Argentina Nov. 9–11 and will end his trip with a seven-day visit to Peru.

The Holy Father’s message to the people is a message of hope, “a message that these countries need,” said Monsignor Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano, permanent observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States (OAS), during a Nov. 6 Spanish-language interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

“We know, in particular, that there is great inequality among these nations — socially, politically, and economically,” Cruz Serrano said. “The pope’s presence serves as a call for social reconciliation wherever there are fractures or divisions, and it will also point us toward a path to follow.”

“He does not come with ready-made solutions, of course, but he can certainly show us a way forward — both as an ecclesial community and as citizens — so that we may continue our journey toward a better future and a new humanity,” he…