Public authority should serve the common good and protect the unborn, Pope says in Uruguay

November 07, 2026

Following a flight of over 13 hours from Rome, Pope Leo XIV arrived on November 6 at Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, where he was welcomed by civil authorities (video).

Uruguay is the Pontiff’s first stop on his apostolic journey to three South American nations (program). Pope Leo traveled from the airport to Plaza Independencia, Montevideo’s main public square, where he delivered an address to civil authorities and member of the diplomatic corps (video).

Reflecting on the public monuments in the plaza, Pope Leo said during the evening address that “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.”

The Pope continued:

The common good also includes the duty to pass on to future generations the goods we ourselves have received ... This responsibility is reflected in decisions that concern the use of natural resources and energy sources ...

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.

After discussing education, work, help for the elderly, loneliness, suffering, and anxiety, the Pope told authorities in Latin America’s most secularized nation that “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,” he added.

The Pontiff concluded:

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.

Following the address, Pope Leo paid a courtesy visit to President Yamandú Orsi in Estévez Palace (video).

 

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Further information:

• Apostolic Journey to Uruguay: Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 11/6/26)
• Welcome Ceremony in Uruguay, Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps, and Visit to the President of the Republic of Uruguay (Holy See Press Office, 11/6/26)
• Pope in Uruguay: Church offers Jesus Christ and hope proclaimed by Gospel (Vatican News, 11/6/26)
• Montevideo, Official Welcome (Vatican News, 11/6/26)
• Montevideo, Visit to President of the Republic (Vatican News, 11/6/26)