Home · Faith · Nov 10 archive
Pope Leo XIV Urges Faithful in Secular Uruguay
· Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV ended his visit to Uruguay on Sunday with a Mass before some 30,000 faithful in the city of Florida, urging Catholics to reach out to those who have drifted away from the Church.
LIVE | Pope Leo XIV in Uruguay: Holy Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Florida | November 8, 2026. EWTN News
Pope Leo XIV urged Uruguayan Catholics to remain faithful and virtuous during his visit to the country, one of Latin America's most secular societies, on Saturday.
The pope made his remarks at an evening prayer vigil in a stadium in Uruguay’s capital, with about 70,000 people in attendance.
Earlier, the pope spoke at the Catholic University of Uruguay, where he shared thoughts on the intellectual formation of young people in the Church.
Pope Leo XIV encouraged the crowd at Paris London Park in Paysandu to be 'bridge builders' and 'share the joy' of their faith.
The pope 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 Vatican said the visit will provide an opportunity for the pope to strengthen ties with local churches, encourage the faithful and promote a message of faith, hope and peace in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
Pope Leo XIV has addressed tens of thousands of people gathered for his first mass in western Uruguay as he continues his 12-day tour of Latin America.
The pope, celebrating Mass in the city of Paysandú, across the Uruguay River from Argentina, urged Uruguayans to draw inspiration from the example of Blessed Jacinto Vera — remembered as the 'gaucho bishop' — who crisscrossed the country in the late 1800s on horseback and 'bore faithful witness to the faith he proclaimed through generous charity and total dedication to the apostolic mission.'
What this adds
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Uruguay marks the first of his three-nation South American tour, which includes Argentina and Peru.
The visit was initially in doubt after the 71-year-old American pope underwent lung cancer surgery last month.
Uruguay’s separation of church and state has roots in the late 19th century, when the government began reducing the Catholic Church’s influence over public institutions.
Pope Leo XIV has called on bishops, priests, deacons, religious men and women, and seminarians to continually renew their relationship with Jesus Christ, reminding them that faithfulness to their vocation requires making Christ the centre of their lives.
Background
Pope Leo XIV urged Uruguayan Catholics to remain faithful and virtuous during his visit to the country, one of Latin America's most secular societies.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in Paysandú, Uruguay, on November 7, 2026, drawing over 40,000 people.
What's confirmed
- Uruguay is one of Latin America's most secular societies, where a majority of people have no affiliation with organized religion and the official state calendar has renamed Catholic holidays with secular terms, such as substituting Tourism Week for Holy Week.
- The pope made his remarks at an evening prayer vigil in a stadium in Uruguay’s capital, with about 70,000 people in attendance.
- Earlier, the pope spoke at the Catholic University of Uruguay, where he shared thoughts on the intellectual formation of young people in the Church.
- “Perhaps there are people who would never open a Bible on their own, who have not set foot in a church in years, or who cannot even say whether they believe in God. But when they see you, the desire for God may be awakened in them; they may even discover that it is worth risking their lives to find him,” the pope said.
- “Christ did not call us to mediocrity,” Leo said.
- MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Pope Leo XIV on Saturday encouraged practicing Catholics in a secular society, and especially young people, to keep their faith strong and to live in virtuous ways that can attract people to the Church.
- PAYSANDÚ, Uruguay — Pope Leo XIV urged an estimated 40,000 people in Uruguay on Saturday to build bridges of fraternity and faith, as he used 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
- It was the first mass of Leo’s three-nation South American tour, including Argentina and Peru, which had been in doubt after the 71-year-old American pope underwent lung cancer surgery last month.
- Uruguay’s separation of church and state has roots in the late 19th century, when the government began reducing the Catholic Church’s influence over public institutions.
- From there, he will travel to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
- “We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that there are children in Uruguay who do not go to school for fear of never returning home,” the pope said.
- Pope Leo XIV departs from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, for Montevideo, Uruguay, at the start of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.
- Montevideo, Uruguay, Nov 7, 2026: Pope Leo XIV has called on bishops, priests, deacons, religious men and women, and seminarians to continually renew their relationship with Jesus Christ, reminding them that faithfulness to their vocation requires making Christ the centre of their lives.
- Uruguay's program includes Montevideo, the port city of Paysandú, and the inland town of Florida, where Leo will celebrate Mass at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, Uruguay's most venerated Catholic site.
- Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Uruguay as he begins a 12-day tour of South America, three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery that had put the entire trip into question.