To mark Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Uruguay from 6 to 8 November 2026, Fr Luc Lalire shares his experience as a missionary Fidei Donum in this Latin American country, where the Church continues its commitment to serving the most vulnerable.
Almost forty years after John Paul II’s visit, Pope Leo XIV is travelling to Uruguay, where only 9 per cent of Uruguayans describe themselves as practising Catholics. For over a century, in this country considered the most secular in Latin America, Christmas has officially been designated as the « Family Day » and Holy Week as the « Tourism Week ».
Uruguay: a «free, small and beautiful» Church awaiting the Pope’s visit
In this particular context, what role does the Church play in Uruguayan society? How does it bear witness to the Gospel and to Christ’s closeness to the most vulnerable?
To discuss this, Fr. Luc Lalire, a priest of the Diocese of Dijon, First Assistant to the General Director of the Prado Institute of Priests, who was a priest Fidei Donum who served in the Diocese of Melo from 2005 to 2011, offers his insights and shares his missionary experience. In particular, he speaks of the Church’s commitment through its social works in the Casavalle neighbourhood, on the outskirts of Montevideo, where Pope Leo XIV is expected to visit.
An invitation to discover a Church which, at the heart of a largely secularised society, continues to carry out its mission amongst the poorest.
Watch the programme from KTO TV – «Churches of the World», 5 November 2026, on Uruguay
A programme presented by Marion Fontenille.