# With an ode to mate, Pope Leo urges faithful in Uruguay to build bridges of fraternity and faith

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/with-an-ode-to-mate-pope-leo-urges-faithful-in-uruguay-to-build-bridges-of-fraternity-and-faith/
- Published: 2026-11-07T18:14:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T19:37:30+00:00
- Original publisher: PBS NewsHour (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/with-an-ode-to-mate-pope-leo-urges-faithful-in-uruguay-to-build-bridges-of-fraternity-and-faith
- Topics: Americas, Politics, World

## Key points

- Pope Leo called for fraternity and faith in Uruguay.
- An estimated 40,000 attended his first South American Mass.
- He used mate as a symbol of sharing and unity.

## Summary

Pope Leo XIV urged Uruguayans to build bridges of fraternity and faith at his first Mass in South America, attended by an estimated 40,000 people in Paysandú. His visit seeks to raise the profile of the Catholic Church in Uruguay, South America’s most secular country, and encourage people to draw on faith amid current challenges.

Leo linked the call for unity to a nearby bridge between Uruguay and Argentina and to mate, the region’s shared herbal tea, which is passed among drinkers from one gourd. More than 30,000 people had registered for the service, with another 10,000 attending despite rain. Later, Leo was due to visit a Montevideo neighbourhood where the Church supports housing and addiction rehabilitation work.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.