Pope Leo XIV Brings a Call for Unity to Secular Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV Brings a Call for Unity to Secular Uruguay
Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in the Americas in Paysandú, Uruguay, drawing more than 40,000 people despite rain, mud and cold winds. The service marked the opening public moment of his 12-day South American trip, which also includes Argentina and Peru.

Accounts of the Mass agree on its central message: the pope urged Uruguayans to strengthen their faith and build ties across communities. One report emphasized his appeal for Catholics to become “bridges” through which others might encounter Jesus, while forming a fraternal community that shares “life and projects, dreams and hopes,” particularly with people in need.

Other coverage focused more closely on the setting and the symbolism behind the homily. Leo chose Paysandú, a border city of about 80,000 people rather than a national capital, and invoked the nearby General Artigas International Bridge as an image of openness, communication and dialogue. He also pointed to palm groves as a sign of being rooted in Christ, and to the regional mate drink as an expression of welcome, friendship and shared life.

The emphasis on local imagery carried added weight in Uruguay, where more than half the population is not affiliated with organized religion, according to one account. Leo recalled the continent’s early evangelizers, saying they proclaimed “the great joy” they had found in Christ through charitable and merciful works.

The visit also honored Blessed Jacinto Vera, Uruguay’s first bishop, whose ministry among distant and poor communities was presented as a model of service. Beyond the Mass, Leo’s program included meetings with Catholic communities, a visit to the Casavalle neighborhood of Montevideo and a youth prayer vigil at the Centenario Stadium before his planned departure for Argentina.

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