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Pope Leo XIV Urges Uruguayan Faithful to Build Bridges for Peace
· Confirmed
In Short: The Pope also pointed to the bridge that connects Uruguay and Argentina as a symbol of unity and encouraged the faithful to build bridges that bring people together.
Pope Leo XIV urged an estimated 40,000 people in Uruguay on Saturday to build bridges of fraternity and faith, using his first Mass in South America to deliver an ode to the region's beloved mate tea and raise the profile of the Catholic Church in its most secular country.
The Pope, who arrived in Uruguay on Friday, is urging the people in South America’s most secular country of 3.5 million to turn to the Catholic faith for strength in confronting today’s problems and challenges.
During his homily, Leo XIV highlighted the ritual of drinking mate, the bitter herbal tea that Uruguayans and their neighbors carry everywhere, as a poignant symbol of unity and encounter that he suggested should be applied to spreading the faith.
'These symbols help us carry on through pain, difficulties, and challenges,' the Pope said, referring to the shared symbols that give identity and a sense of belonging.
'We believe that peace is possible, and we want to build it,' the Pope said, explaining that faith in one God can unite people in the work of peace.
Pope Leo XIV also visited a violence-ravaged neighborhood of Montevideo where church groups have built homes, provided job opportunities, and run drug rehabilitation programs.
The Pope drew an estimated 100,000 people at a prayer vigil and engaged with the faithful, emphasizing the importance of shared values and community.
The Pope’s visit to Uruguay was in doubt after he underwent lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13, but he pushed through for the people.
Pope Leo XIV also stopped for a moment of quiet prayer at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Peter, where construction of the present Cathedral began in 1860.
As he left the Basilica, the Pope unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit and greeted the faithful gathered in the square.
The Pope’s visit to Uruguay is part of his three-nation South American tour, which aims to foster unity and peace in the region.
Background
Pope Leo XIV warned that economic imbalances are threatening world peace, urging young people to address injustice.
Pope Leo XIV urged Europe to rediscover its Christian roots and engage in open dialogue with others to foster peace and unity during a visit to France on September 28, 2026.
What's confirmed
- He also pointed to the ritual of drinking mate, the bitter herbal tea that Uruguayans and their neighbors carry everywhere, as a poignant symbol of unity and encounter that he suggested should be applied to spreading the faith.
- In his homily, Leo asked the faithful to build bridges of fraternity, recalling the nearby bridge over the Uruguay River that connects Uruguay and Argentina and over which many pilgrims crossed to attend the Mass.
- Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. — Pope Leo XIV urged an estimated 40,000 people in Uruguay on Saturday to build bridges of fraternity and faith, using his first Mass in South America to deliver an ode to the region's beloved mate tea and raise the profile of the Catholic Church in its most secular country.
What's still developing
- In 1997, Dylan was invited to perform alongside other artists at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna, before the Pope—then John Paul II—and a crowd of approximately 300,000 young people.
- The verses cited by the Pope in the book published by LEV, edited by journalist Alessandro Banfi, come from “Go Away You Bomb,” a protest song written by the artist in 1963, at the height of Cold War tensions.
- The meeting between Pope Leo and Dylan—who wore a black hooded sweatshirt—was brief, consisting of greetings and a few lighthearted exchanges.
- This is not the first time that the “minstrel” of rock—a nickname he has held since the beginning of his career in the 1960s—has met a Pope.
- The collective memory retains the image of the singer who, after performing three of his great classics—including “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”—removed his cowboy hat, climbed the steps to the papal stage, and exchanged a handshake and a few brief words with Pope John Paul.
- The church is working in the area with municipal authorities to build housing and provide rehab programs for addicts.
- "I personally felt a sense of communion."
- Everyone drinks from the same straw, and Uruguayans drink more mate per person than people anyone else, roughly 9 kilograms (about 20 pounds) of the dried leaf a year, according to industry estimates.
- Learn more PAYSANDÚ, Uruguay — November 7, 2026 Share on Bluesky Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email to a friend Print Pope Leo XIV urged an estimated 40,000 people in Uruguay on Saturday (Nov.
- “We believe that peace is possible, and we want to build it.” The palm groves, he explained, express a desire to come together and build communities of faith.
- “They help us seek God’s presence among us and receive from the Lord the strength and courage to live and proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ, who has given us life.” The Pope then returned by car to Tydeo Larre Borges International Airport for his return flight to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
- Pope Leo thanked residents for their welcome and encouraged them to build bridges that bring people together.