Pope Leo XIV visits Uruguay

What to know about Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru Pope Leo XIV concluded a three‑nation pilgrimage that took him across the southern cone of South America, returning to the continent where he first served as a missionary priest for two decades. The journey, which began in Montevideo on 12 May and ended in Lima on 28 May, was designed to reaffirm the Vatican’s commitment to the region’s Catholic faithful and to address pressing social and environmental challenges. Observers noted the papal itinerary blended liturgical celebrations with meetings of political leaders, indigenous representatives and climate activists, reflecting a broad diplomatic agenda..

In Uruguay, the pontiff’s first stop, he celebrated Mass at the historic Catedral Metropolitana in Montevideo, drawing a crowd of roughly 30 000 worshippers. His homily emphasized the Church’s role in promoting social cohesion and defending the dignity of the poor, echoing themes from his earlier encyclicals on inequality. The Pope also met with President Luis Lacalle Pou, discussing the nation’s recent reforms on drug decriminalisation and the need for continued dialogue between church and state on public health policy..

The Uruguayan leg included a visit to a shelter for homeless families run by the Caritas Uruguaya. There, Pope Leo XIV blessed the facility and urged local authorities to expand social housing programmes, highlighting Uruguay’s relatively low poverty rate compared to regional neighbours. He praised the country’s progressive legislation on gender equality but cautioned that economic disparities still persisted, especially in rural areas where indigenous communities face limited access to education and healthcare..

Leaving Uruguay, the papal convoy crossed the Río de la Plata to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Pope’s itinerary was markedly larger in scale. On 15 May, he addressed a gathering of over 70 000 people at the Estadio Monumental, delivering a sermon that intertwined biblical calls for stewardship of creation with an appeal for peace amidst the nation’s lingering economic instability. He referenced Argentina’s recent debt negotiations, urging responsible fiscal policies that protect the most vulnerable..

In the capital, Pope Leo XIV held an audience with President Alberto Fernández, focusing on the country’s struggle with inflation and the social fallout of recent austerity measures. The discussion touched on the Vatican’s support for micro‑finance initiatives aimed at small farmers in the Pampas, as well as the Pope’s concern over rising unemployment among youth. Both leaders affirmed a shared commitment to bolstering social safety nets and encouraging ethical investment in sustainable agriculture..

A key moment of the Argentine visit was the Pope’s meeting with indigenous leaders from the Mapuche and Qom communities. He listened to their grievances regarding land rights and environmental degradation linked to mining and agribusiness. Pope Leo XIV reiterated the Church’s stance on the protection of indigenous territories, invoking the 1992 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and pledged Vatican diplomatic channels to support dialogue with the Argentine government..

The pontiff also visited a school in the province of Jujuy, where he spoke with teachers and students about the importance of education in fostering social mobility. He highlighted the role of Catholic schools in providing quality education to disadvantaged children, while acknowledging the need for state investment in public schooling to bridge persistent gaps. His remarks were well received, with local officials noting an uptick in enrolment at Catholic institutions over the past decade..

On 20 May, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Mendoza, a region known for its wine production and recent wildfires. He visited a reforestation project funded by the Catholic Church and local NGOs, planting saplings alongside community volunteers. The Pope used the occasion to underscore the urgency of climate action, referencing his 2021 encyclical Laudato si’..

He called on both religious and secular leaders to adopt greener practices, particularly in agriculture, to mitigate future disasters. The final stretch of the pilgrimage took the Pope to Peru, a nation he described as his “second homeland” after serving there as a missionary priest in the early 2000s. Arriving in Lima on 24 May, he was greeted by a delegation that included President Dina Boluarte, senior clergy and representatives of the country’s vibrant evangelical community..

The Pope’s itinerary in Peru combined liturgical duties with extensive outreach to marginalized groups in the Andean highlands. In Lima, Pope Leo XIV presided over a Mass at the historic Plaza de Armas, drawing an estimated 80 000 faithful. His homily centred on the themes of reconciliation and hope, invoking Peru’s complex history of colonialism, civil conflict and recent political upheavals..

He urged the nation’s leaders to pursue inclusive governance and to address the entrenched poverty that afflicts many rural districts, particularly those inhabited by Quechua and Aymara peoples. A significant component of the Peruvian visit was a round‑table with indigenous leaders from the Amazon basin. The Pope listened to concerns about illegal logging, mining concessions and the displacement of communities along the Madre de Dios river..

He reaffirmed the Vatican’s support for the protection of the Amazon rainforest, calling it a “common heritage of humanity” and urging the Peruvian government to enforce stricter.