In Secular Uruguay, Pope Leo Urges Catholics To Find Strength in Being Few
He urged Catholics to defend public faith and said Uruguay’s abortion and suicide figures show a need for stronger family and community support.
- On Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, Pope Leo XIV concluded his three-day tour of Uruguay, where he challenged the secular nation's leadership on abortion, euthanasia, and suicide while drawing record-breaking crowds.
- Uruguay's secular identity, established in 1918, has roots in the 19th century when the government reduced Catholic Church influence. Today, Pew Research Center estimates 52% of the population is religiously unaffiliated.
- During the visit, Pope Leo addressed legalized abortion policies that recorded 11,445 cases in 2025. Roughly 70,000 people claimed free tickets for his vigil at Centenary Stadium, breaking public demand records.
- In the crime-plagued community of Casavalle, the Pope urged unity, saying "We need to all work together- the church, the community and the state." Father Pablo Coimbra, head of Our Virgin of Guadalupe Church, said the visit helps forge collaboration.
- Pope Leo continued his 12-day journey by traveling to Argentina on Monday, intending to advocate for global peace and address victims of church sex abuse. The tour also includes a stop in Peru.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Catholic Review
Northwest CatholicPope Leo challenges secular Uruguay on abortion, euthanasia and suicide
Pope Leo XIV landed Nov. 6 in Uruguay, Latin America's most secular country, and used his first address to challenge the nation's political leadership on abortion, euthanasia and a suicide rate that remains among the highest in the Americas.
Pope Leo Condemns Abortion, Calls for “Protection of the Unborn”
Pope Leo XIV called for the “protection of the unborn” in his first major address in Uruguay, declaring that the unborn “already belong to the human family and to the future of their people.” Speaking Friday in Plaza Independencia before President Yamandú Orsi and other officials, the pontiff pointed to a bronze relief on the […]
Leo XIV leaves Uruguay urging Catholics to reach out to “those who have drifted away”
Pope Leo XIV ended his visit to Uruguay on Sunday with a Mass before some 30,000 faithful in the city of Florida, where he urged Catholics to reach out to those who have drifted away from the Church in South America’s most secular country, before flying to Buenos Aires, the second stop on his regional tour.
The Pope flies this Sunday to Argentina, second stop of his Latin American tour
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