Pope Leo condemns drug violence, pushes marriage in Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV voiced strong condemnation of drug violence and its devastating impact on children in Montevideo, Uruguay, during the second day of his South American pilgrimage. The 71-year-old pontiff, recovering from recent lung cancer surgery, addressed nearly 60,000 attendees at a candle-lit vigil in Montevideo's Centenario stadium.

Pope Leo emphasized the urgent need for young people to marry and start families, urging them not to fear the commitment. He lamented the rising murder rate in Uruguay, which has quadrupled compared to the national average due to escalating drug-related warfare. "In a country as rich in resources as this, children should never have to go to bed hungry… much less suffer violence to the point of losing their lives," the Pope stated.

To illustrate his point, Pope Leo blessed 12 new low-income houses funded by the Church, which residents warmly welcomed. As part of his message, he spoke in support of Catholicism on Latin America's most religious continent, where belief in the faith has dropped from 80% to 55% over the past three decades. The Pope encouraged Catholics to act as "bridge builders" and emphasized the importance of ensuring that artificial intelligence contributes to human dignity during his visit to the Catholic University of Uruguay.