With an ode to mate tea, pope urges faithful in Uruguay to build bridges of fraternity and faith
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Pope Leo XIV urged Uruguayans on Saturday to build bridges of fraternity and faith, as he delivered an ode to the region’s beloved mate tea and raised the profile of the Catholic Church in its most secular country.
After arriving Friday, Leo spent his first full day in Uruguay pointing to the church’s historic roots in the country and the work it’s doing today. He visited a Catholic university and a violence-ravaged neighborhood of Montevideo where church groups have built homes, provided job opportunities and run drug rehabilitation programs.
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