Pope Leo XIV urges church, community and state to work together in Uruguay

Leo speaks out for abuse victims and advocates global peace in Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV told a crowd in Casavalle, Uruguay, “We need to all work together - the church, the community and the state,” adding, “we need to awaken from our inertia and advocate for the common good.” NPR’s Carrie Kahn described Casavalle, a small community about 30 minutes outside Montevideo, as “crime-plagued.”

During the three-day visit, Leo rode through streets in a popemobile, waved to crowds, blessed houses for the poor, kissed babies and gave and received gifts. Kahn said he did not shy from taking on Uruguay’s secularism and the strict separation of church and state.

Host Steve Inskeep said Leo spoke freely in the country, calling for a larger role for the church in Latin America’s “most secular nation.” At his final Mass on Sunday in the small town of Florida, Uruguay, the faithful packed the plaza and spilled into the surrounding streets.

Victoria Parez, a 29-year-old preschool teacher, said Leo made her feel hopeful again. “I used to be very religious, but after a while, I stopped believing,” she said, adding that she thinks she will start going to church again.

As Leo prepared to leave, he said, “Thank you so much, Uruguay,” and was grateful for the warmth he received. Kahn identified Uruguay as the Latin American country with the smallest number of Catholics.

Father Pablo Coimbra, who heads Casavalle’s small Our Virgin Of Guadalupe Church, said secularism can be positive. He argued that “in Uruguay there is a militancy that tries to silence the voice of the church and faithful,” Kahn reported. Kahn said, “The sentiment still lives in Uruguay,” referring to the opposition to the church and its faithful that Coimbra had described. Coimbra said he believed a new path was being forged to work together and that Leo’s visit helps.

During the Uruguay visit, Leo also spoke out for victims of the church’s sex abuse and advocated for global peace.

After wrapping up the three days, Leo headed to Argentina, arriving on November 9, 2026, for the second stop of his Latin America tour.

Host Steve Inskeep said the Argentine stop “could prove to be the most contentious.” In his first speeches there, Leo criticized deep cuts to social spending. Inskeep described Argentina’s president as “far-right” and said Leo “already took aim” at him over the cuts. Leo said, “people must come first, not the economy.”