Pope Leo XIV to celebrate Mass for the patroness of Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at the plaza in front of the Cathedral Basilica of Florida during his upcoming apostolic visit to South America. The Mass honors the Virgem dos Trinta e Três, the patroness of Uruguay. The Pope's visit to the country is scheduled to begin on Friday, November 6.

The patroness is represented by a small cedar image of the Immaculate Conception carved by Guarani indigenous people. According to the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay, the image was originally given to Antonio Díaz, an indigenous man from Santo Domingo de Soriano, who provided his first chapel in the Pintado region. The image was later moved to the area that became the city of Florida. The devotion became linked to the political events of 1825 and the country's independence process.