Pope Leo XIV Builds Bridges of Faith in Uruguay
At Parque París Londres in Paysandú he used the Artigas Bridge and the ritual of shared mate to urge passing the faith to a new generation.
On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in Latin America at Parque París Londres in Paysandú, Uruguay, a former municipal zoo on the city’s southern edge. The liturgy was dedicated to Blessed Jacinto Vera, Uruguay’s first bishop, who rode across the country three times on horseback to visit communities and care for the sick.
More than 30,000 people had registered in advance, many coming from Argentina and Brazil; the Holy See said another 10,000 arrived despite morning rain.
Bridge and mate as signs of communion
In his homily the Pope took as an image the General Artigas International Bridge over the Uruguay River, which links Paysandú to Argentina. “It is the calling we all share: to build bridges, strengthen bonds, unite, communicate and share the joy of faith, as Blessed Jacinto did, ‘in season and out of season,’” he said.
He then praised mate, the shared tea ritual also tied to the Charrúa people: “Mate is a sign of familiarity, friendship and fellowship. It teaches us to share and spend time together,” and “Drinking mate is a ritual rich in symbolism, where people communicate without words.” Uruguayans drink more mate per person than anyone else—roughly 9 kilograms of dried leaf a year, according to industry estimates—and the Pope’s words drew laughter and warmth from the assembly.
The homily spoke to a nation where Church and State were formally separated in 1919 and which stands among South America’s most secular societies, with some 3.5 million inhabitants. Leo XIV stressed that the faith “has been part of the life of the Uruguayan people since their earliest days, and it must be passed on to future generations with creative courage.”
Prayer, plaque, and a pastoral itinerary
Before departing, the Pope prayed in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Benedict of Palermo, unveiled a commemorative plaque, and told the faithful: “These bridges unite us in faith because we believe in one God. We believe that peace is possible, and we want to build it.” He said the palm groves express a desire to come together and build communities of faith, and that sharing mate offers an image of closeness.
At the end of Mass, Bishop Fajardo Bustamante of Salto thanked the Holy Father for a visit he called “a feast of faith,” saying it would help the Uruguayan Church rekindle the gift of Christian life.
The celebration forms part of a 12-day, three-nation pastoral journey. Leo XIV underwent lung cancer surgery on October 13 and nonetheless maintained the schedule. After the Mass he was due to visit a Montevideo neighborhood marked by drug trafficking and gang violence and to take part in a prayer vigil at Centenario Stadium before continuing to Buenos Aires, Luján, Córdoba, and Peru.
By joining Blessed Jacinto’s missionary zeal to everyday signs of Uruguayan life, the Pope placed the local Church under a clear call: to build real bridges of faith and peace in a secular culture and to hand on the Gospel with courage to the young.