Pope Leo XIV has begun his Apostolic Journey to South America with an appeal for Catholics to deepen their relationship with Christ and put their faith into practice. Through November 9, his visits to Uruguay and Argentina have emphasized evangelization, family prayer, service to vulnerable people, and responsibility for the common good. The journey began November 6 and will continue through November 17, with Peru still ahead.
In Uruguay, where secularization presents challenges for the Church, the Holy Father encouraged Catholics to persevere without becoming discouraged by their numbers. At a prayer vigil in Montevideo, he urged the faithful to pursue holiness through a wholehearted commitment to Jesus. Prayer, Mass, Confession, Scripture, and Eucharistic adoration, he explained, sustain the personal conversion necessary for evangelization. He also encouraged young people to embrace marriage and family life, and those discerning priesthood or consecrated life to respond generously to God’s call. Christian witness, he taught, can awaken questions about God among people who have grown distant from faith.
The Pope’s encounters also highlighted the Church’s practical service. In Montevideo’s Casavalle neighborhood, he blessed twelve houses connected to an ongoing parish and community effort. His visit recognized work that serves families through housing, meals, and education, while encouraging Catholics to continue reaching their neighbors after the papal visit concludes.
On November 8, Pope Leo celebrated Mass in Florida for the feast of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, Uruguay’s patroness, and renewed the nation’s consecration to Mary. He honored the mothers, grandmothers, religious sisters, and catechists who have handed down the faith. Addressing families whose children no longer practice, he encouraged perseverance in prayer and confidence in God’s work. Fathers and grandfathers, too, received a call to demonstrate that faith holds a real place in their lives. Authentic Marian devotion always leads people toward Christ.
Arriving in Argentina later that day, the Holy Father addressed public officials and civil society in Buenos Aires. He called for political authority exercised through service, respectful dialogue, and concern for every citizen. Economic development, he stressed, should create opportunities for young people and reach families struggling to meet basic needs. He also urged cooperation against corruption, organized crime, and human trafficking.
At the Don Orione Care Center in Claypole on November 9, the Pope affirmed the dignity of people with disabilities and praised those who care for them. He encouraged young people to volunteer, presenting service as a response to the universal call to holiness. A society’s progress, he explained, includes how it welcomes people with particular needs.
Celebrating Mass in Buenos Aires, Pope Leo returned to the family’s role in renewing the Church. He encouraged households to welcome Christ through shared prayer, forgiveness, attentive listening, and grandparents teaching children to pray. Entrusting families to Mary and Joseph, he called them to take an active part in evangelization, making their homes places where Christ is known and His presence shapes daily life.