A warm welcome awaited Pope Leo XIV aboard the plane, where he greeted the journalists traveling with him and received several gifts.
Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki brought him something connected to the first two countries on his journey.
Young people from Uruguay and Argentina offer the first ‘mate’. I couldn't make it on the plane because it's not allowed.
Alazraki also gave him alfajores, a sweet treat that Pope Francis, his predecessor, particularly enjoyed.
The mate is a traditional drink made from yerba mate leaves and is an integral part of Uruguayan social life. A traditional symbol of friendship and camaraderie, the Pope’s special mate cup features the papal coat of arms. Its creators, Goyo from Argentina, Mateo from Uruguay and Father Josué, a Mexican-Uruguayan priest, designed it to express their closeness to the pope and the spirit of an embrace between the two neighboring countries.
