Pope Leo XIV in Uruguay: Peace Is Possible and We Are Called to Build It
During his sixth apostolic journey, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for more than 40,000 faithful in Paysandú, Uruguay. In his homily he stressed unity and community and said peace is possible.
Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, celebrated Mass on 7 November in the Uruguayan city of Paysandú, with more than 40,000 faithful attending in the Parque París Londres. The visit is part of his sixth apostolic journey, and his homily centred on unity and community.
The pope travelled from Paysandú's international airport, named after Brigadier General Aviator Tydeo Larre Borges, to the venue in the popemobile, blessing the crowd along the way. At the altar, beside an image of Blessed Jacinto Vera, he said: "Peace is possible and we are called to build it."
Three Uruguayan symbols
To show how Christian faith can be safeguarded and spread today, the pope used three characteristic features of Uruguay. The first was the "General Artigas" bridge, a metaphor for building strong bonds and engaging in dialogue. The second was the local palm trees, which grow together in groves and recall the communal nature of the Church. The third was mate, the traditional drink shared at moments of encounter. Leo XIV called it "an element deeply significant to your culture, around which friends or relatives gather to share".
At the end of the service, after thanks from the bishop of Salto, Arturo Eduardo Fajardo Bustamante, the pope presented a chalice to the local diocese.
Rest of the day's programme
After the Mass the pope visited the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, where a commemorative plaque was unveiled, and greeted the faithful outside. He then left Paysandú for the capital, Montevideo.
In the late afternoon he is due to meet the Casavalle community at the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, followed by an engagement with the academic and education sector at the Catholic University of Uruguay. The day will end at Montevideo's Centenario Stadium, where the pope will preside over a prayer vigil with thousands of young people and faithful from across the country.
On Sunday he is expected in Florida, about 90 kilometres from Montevideo. The city is considered the "cradle" of the nation because the Declaration of Independence took place there in 1825, and it is also a religious centre thanks to the National Shrine of the Virgen de los Treinta y Tres. The pope will celebrate Sunday Mass in the square in front of the shrine.
