Pope Leo XIV Holds First South American Mass in Uruguay
· World · The Independent, ABC News, Al Jazeera
Pope Leo XIV conducted his first Mass in South America in Paysandú, Uruguay, drawing over 30,000 attendees from Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil. This event marked the beginning of his three-nation South American tour, which was uncertain after he underwent lung cancer surgery on October 13. Paysandú, a city approximately 375 kilometers from Montevideo, had never hosted a pope before. The pontiff aims to bolster the Catholic Church's presence in Uruguay, considered the region's most secular country, urging people to embrace faith for contemporary challenges.
Why it matters
This visit is significant for the Catholic Church in South America, particularly in Uruguay, as Pope Leo XIV seeks to re-engage a secular population and address social issues like drug trafficking and gang violence through faith-based initiatives.
Read the original report — The Independent
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