• Analysis
Pope Leo Uruguay visit: pontiff calls Catholics 'bridge builders' in Paysandu
Pope Leo XIV, on day two of his South American tour, urged Catholics in Uruguay to be 'bridge builders' for the faith at an open-air mass in Paysandu on Saturday, where thousands braved drizzle holding mate drinks.
A call to be bridge builders
Speaking in Paysandu on Saturday, the second day of his South American tour, Pope Leo XIV told Uruguayans to be "bridge builders" and to "share the joy" of their faith. Uruguay is the first stop on a 12-day tour that also takes in Argentina and Peru.
Mate at the mass
Thousands of faithful braved early morning drizzle for the open-air mass in a park, many holding mate drinks. Praising the shared infusion, the pope said it "teaches us to share and be together".
"Mate has even made its way to Rome," Leo joked.
Secular ground for the faith
Uruguay is described as Latin America's most secular country, and the region's Catholic identification has been shrinking:
- •A Latinobarometro poll shows the share of Latin Americans identifying as Catholic fell from 80 percent to 55 percent in the past 30 years.
Long-awaited visit
This is the first pope to visit Uruguay in nearly four decades. Leo knows the continent closely, having served nearly two decades as a missionary in Latin America.
On Saturday afternoon he returns to Montevideo, where he will visit Casavalle, the Catholic University and Centenario Stadium, presiding over a prayer vigil for 60,000 people. On Sunday afternoon the pope heads to Argentina, where he will meet and give a speech to President Javier Milei, before travelling on to Peru, whose citizenship he holds.
