Pope Leo XIV to visit Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Uruguay from November 6 to 8, 2026, before traveling to Argentina and Peru. This visit marks the first papal trip to the country since Pope John Paul II visited in 1987.

Cardinal Daniel Sturla, the Archbishop of Montevideo, stated that the Church and the State are working together with great expectation to prepare for the arrival. The Cardinal noted that Uruguay is an exception in South America due to a strong secularization process that began over 100 years ago. In Uruguay, the separation of Church and State means there are no official religious symbols in public institutions, presidents do not swear on the religious text, and there are no military chaplains.

Sociologist Nestor da Costa told Vatican News that the visit offers an opportunity to renew dialogue between the Church and society. He observed that in Uruguay, belief in God often exists alongside a weak sense of belonging to religious institutions. The visit coincides with the feast of the country's patroness, the Virgen de los Treinta y Tres.