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Bishop sees Pope Leo’s visit as bringing a ‘spiritual springtime’ to Uruguay #Catholic The president of the Uruguayan Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Milton Tróccoli, said the apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV scheduled for Nov. 6–8 will awaken a “spiritual springtime” in the country. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the season of spring is also just beginning in Uruguay. “The pope’s visit will be a renewal of faith; many people may sometimes have a faith that is a bit dormant, or they are very practicing Catholics who will come and listen attentively to the message the pope will bring to us,” the bishop stated in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, following his Sept. 18 meeting with the pontiff at the Vatican.“I believe it will bring about a renewal, a kind of spiritual springtime, for all of Uruguay,” Tróccoli emphasized.Uruguay’s bishops were in Rome last week for their ad limina visit to the Vatican, a trip that included various meetings at the dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

The bishops of Uruguay conclude their ad limina visit to the Vatican on Sept. 18, 2026, with a meeting with the pope. The visit included various meetings at the dicasteries of the Roman Curia. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pope received them for an hour and shared one of his primary concerns: how to transmit the Gospel.“Today, we see a sort of breakdown in the transmission of the Gospel, especially within the family. We can no longer take for granted that families are the ones encouraging their children or teenagers to attend church or receive the sacraments; indeed, the number of child baptisms in Uruguay has dropped significantly,” the Uruguayan prelate noted.However, he noted that much like in other secularized countries such as France, Uruguay is also experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon: a rise in young adults seeking Christian initiation.“Baptisms for adults are on the rise, specifically young adults requesting the sacrament of baptism and the full process of Christian initiation: baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist. For us, this is very encouraging,” he commented.An increasingly secularized countryUruguay is often described as one of the most secularized countries in Latin America. For instance, it is the only country in the region where Holy Week is not recognized by the government; instead, it was renamed “Tourism Week” by law in 1919.According to data from the Uruguayan Bishops’ Conference, in a country of barely 3 million inhabitants, approximately 35% of the population identifies as Catholic. Within that group, according to Tróccoli, “we can say that approximately 10% attend Mass every Sunday or frequently receive the sacraments.”

The Uruguayan bishops present the pope with a book featuring 80 Catholic churches across the country with images by Julio Testoni and stories compiled by Miguel Ángel Álvarez Montero, titled “Architecture, Art, and Heritage in the Churches of Uruguay,” during their visit to the Vatican on Sept. 18, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

There are also “many who call themselves believers without a religion, that is, without institutional affiliation, who believe in God but do not belong to any specific religion; this is a group that has been growing in recent years.”He also noted that approximately “40% of the population currently falls into this category, while others declare themselves agnostic or nonbelievers.”In this context, evangelization constitutes, according to the bishop, “a very great challenge.” The local Church considers Uruguay “a mission country where we must proclaim the Gospel extensively.”“We must place strong emphasis on the initial proclamation of the Gospel, while the Church also works extensively through various social and human development initiatives, naturally bringing the Gospel and acting out of faith in Jesus Christ, and working for the common good, though these efforts often go unnoticed,” Tróccoli explained.Drug trafficking, childhood poverty, and suicidesDuring his meeting with the Uruguayan bishops, Leo XIV showed interest in learning firsthand about the countryʼs social situation.Tróccoli lamented the extent of “social fragmentation” and the fact that Uruguay is “a society tending toward polarization, just as our world is polarized.”He also noted the issue of “rising violence stemming from drug trafficking, something we were not accustomed to experiencing. Well, perhaps the rate is very low compared to other countries, but for our society, it is something new and something that deeply affects families."The bishop also highlighted concerns regarding children living in poverty and the rise in youth suicides, issues he linked to “a lack of a more transcendent perspective.”“The number of suicides, especially among young people, represents a high percentage, the highest in Latin America. This deeply questions and challenges us as a Church,” he stated.For the Uruguayan Church, this reality presents the challenge of proclaiming a message of hope. “We must do a better job of proclaiming the Gospel so that it can offer hope, give meaning to life, and provide reasons, truth, for living, growing, and developing as a person.”A visit marked by devotion to the Virgin of the 33The visit of the Uruguayan bishops to the Vatican took place less than two months before the apostolic journey with which Pope Leo XIV will begin his Latin American tour.

A meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Uruguayan bishops on Sept. 18, 2026, provided an opportunity to present the Holy Father with a document containing messages from citizens across Uruguay, sent in anticipation of his arrival in the country on Nov. 6, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pontiff will arrive in Latin America on Nov. 6, lead an event in Montevideo, and meet with President Yamandú Orsi. The following day, he will travel to Paysandú and subsequently return to Montevideo to visit various charitable works of the Church and celebrate a Mass at Centenario Stadium.On Sunday, Nov. 8, before departing for Argentina, he will celebrate the Mass of the Virgin of the 33, Uruguay’s national patroness, in the city of Florida.The National Shrine of the Virgin of the 33 is located there, situated about 60 miles from Montevideo. Indeed, the coincidence of dates with the countryʼs principal Marian celebration was one of the factors influencing Leo XIVʼs decision to begin his tour of Latin America there.The feast of the Virgin of the 33 is celebrated every Nov. 8, although the national pilgrimage traditionally takes place on the second Sunday of the month. In 2026, the two dates coincide, and the pope did not want to miss the occasion.“For us, it is truly a tremendous gift that the pope could come at this time, especially since it coincides with the feast of the Virgin of the 33, who is the patroness of Uruguay, and the national pilgrimage. The feast day of the Virgin falls on Nov. 8, which is a Sunday this year, and the pope himself will celebrate the Eucharist,” Tróccoli explained.Memories of St. John Paul IIThe Uruguayan bishops presented the pope with two books featuring images of various churches from across the country. They also gave him a collection of letters and drawings prepared by both the faithful and nonbelievers.Leo XIV has never visited Uruguay. However, some Uruguayans knew him when he was still Father Robert Prevost. During his time as superior general of the Order of St. Augustine, he traveled to Argentina on several occasions, where he met Uruguayan Augustinians.However, memories of St. John Paul II’s visits remain very much alive among Uruguayan Catholics. The Polish pontiff visited the country twice — in 1987 and 1988 — at a particularly significant time of democratic consolidation following the military dictatorship.Tróccoli said he believes the visit of Leo XIV could have a similar impact. “It created a sense of unity not only within the country but also a resurgence of faith and personal devotion. We saw an immediate increase, for instance, in the number of people attending Mass or drawing closer to the faith,” the prelate noted.In this regard, he said he believes Pope Leo XIV’s visit will awaken “the most genuine aspects of the search for faith and of religious sentiment, and from there, more people will want to draw closer.”The president of the bishops' conference also stated that the trip will mark a turning point for Uruguayan society: “It will be a visit filled with hope. The pope isn’t going to come just for some people; he comes for everyone, and everyone is also invited to feel part of this celebration of encountering him.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam September 22, 2026September 23, 2026

Although church attendance is low and the society is quite s quite secularized, the president of Uruguay’s bishops’ conference believes Pope Leo’s visit will give a boost to the country’s spiritual renewal.

The Church cannot declare war on Latin Mass devotees, Cardinal Robert Sarah says #Catholic “We, as a Church, cannot declare war on those who devoutly attend Mass simply because they prefer one form over another; this is a shortsighted and entirely ideological stance and, therefore, neither pastoral nor Christian,” Cardinal Robert Sarah said on Aug. 27. “It is harmful and destructive to the Church.”Sarah, the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, spoke to the Italian newspaper Il Giornale last week about the importance of the traditional liturgy, which dates back to the time of Pope Gregory the Great and earlier, and which was celebrated worldwide until the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).After the council, the old liturgy was abandoned, although some priests continued to celebrate it. The archbishop of Dakar, Senegal, Marcel Lefebvre, remained faithful to it and founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) under the claim of preserving the Traditional Latin Mass and in opposition to some reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The SSPX has twice been declared to be in schism, including in 2026, and its bishops excommunicated.In the mid-1980s, the Holy See began to relax the de facto ban. In his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 authorized all priests to celebrate the old liturgy; in his view, strictly speaking, it had never been abrogated. He differentiated between the Traditional Latin Mass as the “extraordinary form” and the new Mass as the “ordinary form.” Pope Francis revoked his predecessorʼs decision in 2021 and severely restricted the classical Roman liturgy with his motu proprio Traditionis Custodes.“Among the effects of the liberalization of the extraordinary form was the positive influence — I would even say the correction — regarding possible abuses in the celebration of the ordinary form,” Sarah said. “These abuses are extremely serious acts, yet we must never equate the ordinary form itself with them. Many priests testify that discovering the extraordinary form helped them celebrate Mass better.”“I think Benedict XVI also demonstrated on that occasion a deeply humble and democratic attitude,” the cardinal continued, recalling the 2007 decision. “He wanted to ensure the widest possible dissemination, so that the people of God could decide for themselves, over the decades, which form of living out the faith best suited them. All of this, however, was nullified by Traditionis Custodes, while the pope emeritus was still alive.”“That did not seem to me a decision that was either sensible or respectful,” Sarah explained. “But Benedict XVI, a man as gentle as a lamb, allowed himself to be humiliated and thus offered his suffering to God in silence and prayer, so as to better identify with Christ’s pain for his Church and to purify it.”Sarah said that “access to ritual forms that have been recognized and in existence for centuries must never be artificially restricted by means of decrees. If a rite did not serve the faith, it would disappear on its own; if, conversely, it preserves and fosters the faith, we must by no means restrict it, for in doing so we would be restricting the very preservation and spread of the faith.”This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV remembers victims of Ebola and mining disaster in Central Africa #Catholic During his Aug. 23 Angelus address at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV remembered the victims of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of a deadly mining landslide in the Central African Republic.“In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly claiming many lives. I encourage on the part of the international community a response that also involves local communities in efforts of prevention, so that many human lives may be saved,” Leo said.The recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was first declared in May 2026, claiming the lives of close to 2,500 people, according to an Aug. 21 BBC report. The country is currently distributing a vaccine against the virus, and public health officials have declared it the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history.On Aug. 18, a landslide at a gold mine near Zamboyé in western Central African Republic buried and killed more than 100 workers, according to an Aug. 19 BBC report. Rescue efforts are ongoing for potential survivors, and Pope Leo prayed for all those who lost their lives in the disaster.“I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse at a mine in Zamboyé. May the Lord receive those who have lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and respect for the law at mining sites,” the pope said.‘Who is Jesus for me?’During his Angelus, Leo also preached on the Gospel of the day, in which Jesus asks his disciples about his identity and Peter’s confesses his faith in Jesus as the Son of God.The pope noted that the question of Jesus’ identity is decisive for one’s everyday experience of discipleship.“The question that is put to us each day — who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life? — emerges especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel,” Leo explained. The faithful gathered in St. Peterʼs Square for Pope Leo XIVʼs Angelus address on Aug. 23, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media “In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history … or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live,” the pope added.The pope then encouraged the faithful not to be content with their own convictions about Christ, but to “remain open to an authentic relationship with Christ.”“Yet Jesus calls us to give a personal response, to know him more closely and to allow ourselves to be shaped by friendship with him through an ever new encounter. This may also ask us to follow unfamiliar paths and to make choices different from those we had imagined.”

Catholic organization gathers signatures to call on world leaders to protect religious freedom #Catholic The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched a petition campaign calling on the United Nations and the Council of Europe to protect religious freedom in the face of the religious persecution occurring in 62 countries.On its website, the Catholic organization states that “no one should have to choose between their faith and their life.” However, “5.4 billion people, almost two-thirds of humanity, live in countries where individuals and communities continue to face harassment, violence, and even death because of their beliefs.”ACN is therefore inviting people to sign the petition addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres; U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk; the U.N. General Assembly; European Council President António Costa; as well as democratic governments, ambassadors, and diplomatic representatives.The goal is to call upon international leaders to permanently protect the fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, “as enshrined in Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”ACN notes that its “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025” warns that “some 5.4 billion people live in 62 countries where persecution, oppression, or discrimination by both state and non-state actors has intensified.”The pontifical foundation states that “this grave human rights crisis can no longer be ignored” and therefore urges democratic governments and international bodies to “publicly condemn all forms of religious persecution.”Likewise, ACN calls for “religious freedom to be a priority in foreign policy and diplomatic relations,” for “enforcing appropriate measures against regimes that repeatedly violate this fundamental right,” and for concrete measures to be adopted “to prevent violations, ensure the effective protection of this right, and promote the socioeconomic development of religious minorities.”The letter also calls for the protection of “at-risk religious communities to be granted protection, especially in countries suffering from sectarian violence or religious extremism. This is aimed at preventing forced migration, thereby enabling communities to stay in their ancestral homes and lands.”Finally, the letter requests that “individuals and groups suffering religious persecution receive the emergency aid and legal aid they need.”Those wishing to sign the petition can visit this link.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.