Pope Leo XIV urged Uruguayan leaders to defend life before birth and ensure people receive care through the natural end of life, linking social policy with regional cooperation at the first stop of his South American tour.
During a Nov. 6 address in Montevideo, Leo called for support for families raising children and said medical care should be accessible regardless of a person’s financial means. He said people deserve care through the “natural end of life,” according to the Holy See Press Office transcript. EconoTimes previously covered his call for health care access as the visit began.
Neither abortion nor euthanasia appears by name in the transcript. MercoPress characterized the remarks as touching those debates. Uruguay’s 2012 law regulates voluntary termination of pregnancy under specified conditions, while a 2025 law regulates euthanasia under defined conditions.
Leo said Uruguay’s secular order should support coexistence among people with different beliefs and leave room for religious expression in public life. He also spoke about suicide, saying people should know they matter to those around them.
He tied concern for future generations to demographic trends and said the benefits of wealth, investment and economic activity should reach everyone. Leo described Uruguay’s renewable-heavy electricity system as the result of a long policy shift, and said planning should weigh transport and production needs against responsible use of land, water and energy.
The speech recalled the 1811 Redota and noted that 2025 marked 40 years of uninterrupted democracy in Uruguay. Leo praised Mercosur, the regional bloc that includes Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, and said Uruguay could help its neighbors settle differences through negotiation and agreements, in keeping with its constitutional commitment to peaceful resolution.
Uruguay’s official schedule lists pastoral activity in Florida on Nov. 8, followed by Leo’s departure for Buenos Aires.