Pope Leo XIV landed in Uruguay on 6 November 2026 and used his first address of his South America tour to challenge the country's political leadership on abortion, euthanasia and suicide. Speaking to President Yamandú Orsi, public officials and diplomats in Montevideo's Plaza Independencia, the pope framed his remarks around the bronze reliefs depicting the 1811 exodus led by national hero José Gervasio Artigas.

The stop opened a 12-day journey through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, running from 6 to 17 November. It is the first visit by a pope to Uruguay since John Paul II visited in 1988, and the first journey to Latin America by Pope Leo since his election. He arrived in Montevideo after a 13-hour flight from Rome, less than a month after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

The unborn already belong to the human family

Reflecting on a figure of a mother holding a baby in the Artigas reliefs, the pope said the unborn already belong to the human family, adding that protecting unborn children must be accompanied by support for mothers, fathers and families. Uruguay legalised abortion in 2012. Its Ministry of Public Health recorded 11,445 reported abortions in 2025, the highest annual figure since the law took effect and an increase from 11,232 in 2024. More than 129,000 were recorded from 2013 through 2025.

The pope did not name Uruguay's euthanasia law directly, but stressed the need to preserve life even in the midst of suffering. Uruguay legalised euthanasia a year earlier, and the procedure became available about six months ago. Preliminary figures indicate that about 12 people died by euthanasia during that period, while the country awaits the oversight commission's first annual report. Catholic teaching forbids euthanasia, and the pope's words underscored accompaniment until natural death without naming the recent legislation.

Suicide, loneliness and healthcare for all

Without citing statistics, Pope Leo also addressed suicide, saying loneliness, anxiety and the loss of hope can become so profound that a person no longer sees a reason to continue living. Uruguay recorded 668 deaths by suicide in 2025, a rate of 19.16 per 100,000 inhabitants, among the highest in the Americas. The pope said adequate healthcare, family ties and the closeness of the community are inseparable, and that no one should ever feel like a stranger among their own or think that their absence matters less than their presence.

Drawing on his own recent illness, he insisted that ensuring healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources, is a duty that confronts every society. After the welcome ceremony, he held a private meeting with President Orsi, and later took part in vespers at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Sts Philip and James in Montevideo. He then travelled on to Argentina, where he met President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires, before the final leg of the tour in Peru, where he lived for two decades and holds citizenship. OSV News reported the Montevideo address on 7 November, and ACI Africa carried the pope's call to protect life from its beginning in the womb until its natural end.