Church in Uruguay: Pope’s visit will strengthen faith and hope

By Sebastián Sansón Ferrari

The Church in Uruguay has welcomed with great joy the announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey, which will take place from 6 to 8 November as the first leg of his visit to Latin America.

For Bishop Milton Tróccoli, President of the Uruguayan Bishops’ Conference, the Pope’s arrival is a long-awaited grace that will encourage the Catholic community, strengthen its evangelising mission and offer the entire country a renewed message of hope.

Speaking to Vatican News, the Bishop of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas said the news had been greeted with enthusiasm by a Church that had long hoped for a visit from the Successor of Peter.

“We truly receive it as a gift, as a blessing,” he said, expressing his conviction that the Pope’s presence will be a sign of closeness and communion for all the faithful.

A shepherd who strengthens the faithful

Bishop Tróccoli emphasised the profound pastoral significance of every papal visit. He said Pope Leo will come to Uruguay to strengthen the Church on its journey of faith, encourage it to continue proclaiming the Gospel and confirm believers in their vocation as missionary disciples.

“He will encourage us all, help us to continue along the path of evangelisation and strengthen us in the faith,” he said.

At the same time, the Bishop noted that the visit will reach far beyond the Church and will be good news for Uruguayan society as a whole, at a time when the country needs messages that inspire confidence and hope.

He expressed the hope that the Holy Father would be welcomed as a true bearer of peace, reconciliation and unity.

“He will help us to look ahead and to look further, opening up a new and hopeful horizon,” Bishop Tróccoli said.

Evangelising in a secularised society

Asked about the significance of the visit to a country deeply shaped by secularisation, the President of the Uruguayan Bishops’ Conference said he was confident that the encounter with the Pope would strengthen the Church’s identity and mission.

He noted that, from the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo has shown a particular ability to engage in dialogue with the contemporary world and to encourage an encounter between faith and society.

This approach, he said, will be especially valuable in Uruguay, where the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel through dialogue, respect and service.

Bishop Tróccoli added that the Pope’s message would help promote Gospel values as the foundation of a more humane society—one committed to the dignity of every person and to the common good.

“I believe that the whole country, despite its different perspectives and sensitivities, will welcome the Pope warmly and listen to his message with interest,” he said.

Following in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II

Pope Leo XIV will become the second Pope to visit Uruguay, following Saint John Paul II, who travelled to the country on two occasions.

For Bishop Tróccoli, there is a clear continuity between the visits, since both express the Successor of Peter’s enduring affection for the Church in Uruguay.

He recalled that Saint John Paul II’s visits remain vivid in the memories of many of the faithful and said the new papal journey would rekindle that experience of communion with the universal Church.

“We are a small Church, but one that always seeks to remain faithful and in communion with the Church of Rome,” he said.

The Pope’s presence, he added, will encourage the Church to continue being “light, salt and leaven” within society.

Our Lady of the Thirty-Three at the spiritual heart of the visit

One of the most significant moments of the visit will take place on 8 November, when Pope Leo joins celebrations for the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, the patroness of Uruguay.

This year, the feast falls on a Sunday, which Bishop Tróccoli said would lend even greater significance to the traditional national pilgrimage, held each year on the Sunday closest to the feast day.

The Bishop expressed his joy that the Pope would be able to pray before the historic image of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three at her shrine, which is closely linked to Uruguay’s national identity and history.

He said the gesture would help renew devotion to Mary as Mother and intercessor, while recalling Uruguay’s Christian roots and the need to continue nurturing them today.

“The Pope’s presence will be a special gift for all the pilgrims,” he said.

The face of popular devotion

Bishop Tróccoli also said the visit would give the Holy Father an opportunity to witness an expression of faith that remains very much alive among the Uruguayan people: popular devotion.

Although Uruguay is often described as one of the most secularised countries in the region, the Bishop said Marian devotion continues to grow and remains a source of hope for many people.

Mary, he explained, “always encourages us to look to her Son” and accompanies people on their journey, reminding them that no one travels through life alone.

For this reason, he said the Pope’s encounter with the pilgrims would be one of the most spiritually powerful moments of the journey.

A pastoral opportunity for the whole Church

Bishop Tróccoli invited the entire Church in Uruguay to prepare spiritually for the visit and to embrace it as a genuine pastoral opportunity.

The Pope, he said, comes as the universal Pastor to support a “little flock” that needs to feel accompanied and strengthened in its mission.

He also expressed confidence that the public response would reveal a dimension of faith in Uruguay that often remains hidden from view.

“I am certain that he will receive a very warm welcome, and that everyone will come out to meet him, to see him and to listen to him,” he said.

Finally, Bishop Tróccoli reiterated that Pope Leo’s visit should be experienced in a spirit of faith, prayer and openness to Christ’s message. He expressed confidence that it would give fresh impetus to the life of the Church and offer the country a renewed horizon of hope.