MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
“Plaza Independencia” (Montevideo)
Friday, 6 November 2026
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Mr President of the Republic,
Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With great joy I accepted the kind invitation extended to me to visit this land of Uruguay. I thank you, Mr President, for your words of welcome and for the hospitality with which you have received me. I greet the representatives of the institutions of the Republic here present, and those of the nations accredited to this country.
On this, our first meeting, I wish to extend my greetings to all Uruguayans, wherever they may be. Over the next few days, I will have the pleasure of visiting various places in this country, of encountering its history and meeting the men and women who, in so many different ways, are part of the life of the nation. Among these places, Florida holds a special place, for it is where Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, Patroness of Uruguay, is venerated. As I begin my visit, I would like to place under her protection all those whom I will meet along the way. Her presence accompanied a decisive chapter in the history of the nation and continues to unite very different generations of Uruguayans.
That history includes another episode which I would like to mention here. I am thinking of the Exodus of the People of the East in 1811, also known as La Redota. We need not look far to recall it, for the monument to Artigas in the center of this square features on its pedestal a bronze frieze in which Angelo Zanelli depicted scenes from that event. I would like to focus on some details of those figures, since they offer a concrete starting point for reflecting on Uruguay today.
At the top of the monument, Artigas appears alone, on horseback. Further down, on the front relief, he reappears among his men, surrounded by the crowd. This detail brings to mind the words he spoke shortly thereafter before the representatives of the Eastern Provinces gathered at the Congress of April in 1813: “My authority,” he said, “comes from you, and it ceases by your sovereign presence” (Inaugural Address, Artigas Archive, vol. XI, doc. 82). In a single sentence, Artigas spoke of the origin of authority and the responsibility of those who exercise it: authority is received from a specific community and is accountable to that community.
The year 2025 marked four decades of uninterrupted democracy in Uruguay, during which various governments have succeeded one another by the will of the citizens. Public authority finds its raison d’être in service to the common good and is called to exercise it within the framework of law, with respect for the freedom and responsibility of the citizenry (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 74). Hence the value of those structures which allow for participation in public life, which clearly define the powers of institutions, and which provide for the election of those who assume the task of governing (cf. ibid., 75).
The common good also includes the duty to pass on to future generations the goods we ourselves have received. As my predecessor Pope Francis observed, “the notion of the common good also extends to future generations” (Laudato Si’, 159). This responsibility is reflected in decisions that concern the use of natural resources and energy sources. In recent decades, Uruguay has profoundly transformed its electrical grid, which today relies almost entirely on renewable sources. This is a remarkable achievement that required sustained decisions over many years and the participation of various sectors of the country. This step forward now poses new challenges in the areas of transportation, production and the responsible use of land, water and energy. Planning for the long term entails the ability to manage these resources without compromising future possibilities.
Concern for the future also embraces those destined to inhabit this land, the conditions in which they will be born and grow up, and the opportunities they will encounter throughout their lives. Uruguay’s demographic trends make this concern particularly pressing. One of the reliefs on the monument depicts a woman holding a baby in her arms. She holds the child close as the march presses forward around her.
That gesture of protection invites us to reflect on life that is just beginning, as well as life still developing in the mother’s womb. The unborn already belong to the human family and to the future of their people. Their absolute dependence on their mother does not diminish the dignity to which they are entitled or the protection they deserve. Welcoming a new life requires that fathers assume their responsibility alongside mothers, that the family offer its support, and that social conditions exist that allow both parents to raise and care for their children. The protection of the unborn and the support of those who welcome them are inseparable. The family remains the primary setting in which each person is welcomed and learns to live with others. Saint John Paul II, who also had the joy of visiting this land, expressed this in a phrase that retains all its original force: “The future of humanity passes by way of the family” (Familiaris Consortio, 86).
In another part of the frieze, we see children walking side-by-side with adults. Children are part of the community even before they are able to share in its decisions or contribute to it by their labor. Those walking alongside the adults were one day, in turn, to be entrusted with the responsibility of advancing the life of the community. Caring for the youngest members of society necessarily includes ensuring they receive a suitable education. The home in which children grow up, the nourishment they receive and the presence of adults who accompany them shape their earliest years; education takes up this task, developing children’s abilities, shaping their judgment and preparing them to participate freely and responsibly in the life of society (cf. Gravissimum Educationis, 1).
Education must also provide concrete opportunities for entering the workforce, putting the fruits of one’s learning into practice, and achieving personal autonomy by one’s own efforts. Work is thus one of the structures that enables each person to develop his or her abilities and to contribute to the good of others. It is worth recalling that “work is ‘for man’ and not man ‘for work’” (Saint John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 6). This principle remains as relevant as ever in the face of rapid changes in technology and artificial intelligence. The development of these technologies ought to expand human capabilities, facilitate tasks, and create new possibilities, while ensuring that the laborer is not reduced to a mere expendable cog in the production process.
Among the figures on the monument, we also find an elderly woman, stooped, leaning on a cane and advancing with difficulty. Around one of the wagons, several people are gathered and reaching out to one another; some appear more concerned with helping others than simply going about their own business. Those who need help and support to carry on were also part of that community. Their place in it did not depend on their own strength, self-sufficiency, or ability to contribute. Today too, people’s worth cannot be measured by what they produce, by their work or by their ability to fend for themselves. “The fundamental dignity of each person, therefore, is neither acquired nor earned, nor does it need to be justified” (Magnifica Humanitas, 53).
The bronze relief portrays faces and gestures, but it tells us nothing of what each individual carried in their heart as they moved amid the others. Today, we can live our lives surrounded by others, at work, on the streets, or even in our own homes, yet remain unaware of the burdens that others may be carrying. Loneliness, anxiety and the loss of hope can become so profound that a person no longer sees a reason to continue living. Given the painful reality of suicide, it is clear that adequate health care, family ties, and the closeness of the community are inseparable. None should ever feel like a stranger among their own or think that their absence matters less than their presence.
Other forms of suffering can be seen in illness or poor living conditions. Sickness, disability, physical pain, loss of autonomy, poverty, unemployment or social exclusion can make it especially necessary that others offer help. Recently I experienced firsthand the limitations imposed by illness and I received care for which I am deeply grateful. That experience makes me think of the many men and women who lack the means to obtain a timely diagnosis or receive the treatments they need. Ensuring that health care is accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources, is a duty that confronts every society. Those facing any of these situations do not cease to be full members of society, nor do their lives lose any of their value. In such circumstances, their weakness makes it all the more urgent that they receive the assistance, resources, and support they need.
Caring for those who suffer is a responsibility incumbent upon the entire human family. For the Church, this duty finds a particular basis in the commandment of Christ to recognize and serve him in those most in need (cf. Mt 25:40). As Benedict XVI noted, “the true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer” (Spe Salvi, 38). Hence, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that each person can live with dignity, receive the care they need, and be accompanied until the natural end of his or her life.
Through its dioceses and communities, and through the many people dedicated to the service of others, the Church wishes to cooperate with all those who work to alleviate suffering whenever possible, and to support the individual in cases when suffering cannot be eliminated. To this common effort, the Church contributes what is unique to her: a hope that does not fade when human resources reach their limits and which reminds those undergoing trials that their lives always retain meaning and value, that they are not alone, and that even in dark times they do not cease to be loved by God.
The crowd marching alongside Artigas brought together people from very diverse backgrounds. In the relief, a well-dressed woman walks behind a wagon, while others lead animals or carry their belongings. Those differences are also a part of the history of Uruguay, where generations of men and women from different backgrounds and social conditions made this country a common homeland.
People who are part of the same community may come from very different backgrounds and have unequal resources. Ultimately, the way the economy is organized and directed has a direct impact on people’s living conditions and their ability to shape their future. The creation of wealth, investment and economic initiative — both public and private — are necessary for a country’s development, yet their benefits must also translate into goods and opportunities that effectively reach everyone, for “it is individuals that matter, each and every person together with their families” (Magnifica Humanitas, 58).
Coexistence among people of different backgrounds and traditions is part of Uruguay’s history. That pluralism is expressed in the beliefs and convictions of its citizens today. The secular character of the State involves an obligation to ensure that there is room for believers and non-believers to live together in freedom and respect. This neutrality does not require that the religious dimension be confined to the private sphere. As the Second Vatican Council teaches, no one should be compelled to act against his or her conscience or prevented from acting in accordance with it, whether in private or in public, individually or in association with others, within due limits (cf. Dignitatis Humanae, 2–3). On the basis of this freedom, individuals and religious communities can contribute to the common good while respecting the autonomy of civil institutions.
The respect and harmonious coexistence fostered within a nation must also guide its relations with other peoples. The Uruguayan Constitution itself provides that, in international treaties, the Republic shall seek to resolve disputes through arbitration or other peaceful means and shall promote the social and economic integration of Latin American states (cf. Art. 6). The fact that Montevideo is also the seat of the Mercosur Secretariat gives concrete expression to this commitment to fostering opportunities for understanding and cooperation in the region. In an age when differences can easily become a source of conflict, persevering in respect for the law, negotiation and the patient search for agreements is a service that Uruguay can continue to offer its neighbors.
Before concluding, I would like now to return to that march depicted in the center of this square. The Redota holds a unique place in Uruguayan memory: it commemorates a people put to the test, who had to leave behind much of what they possessed and sought to remain united in the midst of uncertainty.
The reliefs on this monument extend across all four sides of the pedestal. From any one vantage point, we can only glimpse a part of that crowd. To discover the others, we must draw closer, walk around it and let our gaze rest on its figures. The Uruguayan people are revealed precisely in the work viewed as a whole. In the crowd of figures, we can recognize an enduring element of the life of Uruguay: the responsibility of each person to another, which has allowed people of different generations and backgrounds to persevere in building a shared history.
To that Uruguay I have come as the Successor of Peter and as a shepherd, with the desire to meet the pilgrim Church in this land and to draw near, with affection, to all its people. The ties between the Holy See and Uruguay date back to the first years of its independence. In that context, my Predecessor, Pope Gregory XVI, confirmed the powers of Father Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga and appointed him Apostolic Vicar of the Republic by means of an Apostolic Brief dated 14 August 1832. That act, of an ecclesiastical nature, has also been interpreted as an implicit recognition of the independence of the new eastern State, which at that time was seeking to consolidate its position among the nations.
With her history of faith and service dating back centuries, the Church wishes to continue offering the Uruguayan people what she herself has received — Jesus Christ and the hope proclaimed by his Gospel — and to cooperate, through her own mission, with all those who work to promote the common good and the dignity of every person.
May these days allow us to strengthen what unites us and renew the confidence with which we face difficulties and prepare for what lies ahead. May God bless Uruguay, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom this people entrusted itself at the time of its birth, continue to accompany it throughout its history.
Thank you very much.
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