Pope Leo XIV, who ends his trip to Uruguay today, called on men to serve as an example to younger people and to treat their women with respect. The message was delivered at a Mass with 50,000 people in Florida.
© Tiziana Fabi / AFP via Getty Images
08/11/2026
by
Lusa
O Pope Leo XIV, who ends his trip to Uruguay today, called on men to serve as an example to younger people and to treat their women with respect.
“ Dear parents and grandfathers, young people need to see you praying, approaching the sacraments and treating your wives with respect,” Pope Leo XIV said at a camp Mass in Florida, which brought together some 50,000 people.
In 2024, more than 3,800 women were victims of gender violence in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL).
Most violent deaths of women are perpetuated by their current or former partners.
The mass in the central square of Florida ended the visit of the head of the Catholic Church to Uruguay.
“ It is very important that the Pope has come [to Uruguay]. This strengthens the presence of the Church in our country”, said one of the present, Ivanna Fisichella, 22 years old, in statements to the France-Presse Agency (AFP).
In the same place, 57-year-old Evangelina Campero highlighted the Pope’s efforts to make a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru three weeks after being operated on for lung cancer.