Pope Leo urges Uruguay's Catholics to build bridges of faith

Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics in Uruguay to be bridge builders for the faith and praise local mate tea on Saturday, the second day of his South American tour. France 24, Deutsche Welle, and the South China Morning Post reported that the 71-year-old pontiff arrived in the country on Friday. His visit marks the first papal trip to Uruguay in 38 years, according to UPI. [1][2][3][4]

The 12-day journey includes scheduled visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, as FTMQ News reported earlier. France 24, Deutsche Welle, and the South China Morning Post stated that the trip comes just three weeks after the pope underwent lung cancer surgery. UPI noted that Pope Leo is the first American-born pope, while PBS NewsHour reported that he spent two decades as a missionary priest on the continent. [1][2][3][4][7][14][15]

The pontiff departed Rome on Friday morning and arrived at Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo after a flight of nearly 14 hours, according to UPI and Deutsche Welle. During his stay in Uruguay, UPI reported that the pope is scheduled to hold talks with President Yamandu Orsi. [2][3]

France 24 and the Daily Mail described Uruguay as the most secular nation in Latin America. Thousands of worshippers gathered in a park for the pontiff's first Mass in South America, ABC News reported. The Daily Mail added that an estimated 40,000 people attended the service, where worshippers greeted the pope with football chants. [1][5][11]