After a flight of more than 13 hours, Pope Leo XIV kicked off his 12-day tour of South America with a busy evening schedule, even as Rome readied for bed. His first address was to Uruguayan authorities and the diplomatic corps, and while the Pope praised the country’s efficiency in moving to clean energy, he was firm in his denunciation of human rights abuses. The Holy Father framed his speech around a piece of art that stands in the capital of Montevideo; it is a monument to Artigas and the historical moment at the heart of modern-day Uruguay, known as the Exodus of the People of the East in 1811. The Pope focused on some of the figures depicted in the bronze frieze at the base of the statue. For example, one figure invites us “to reflect on life that is just beginning, as well as life still developing in the mother’s womb,” he said. The Read More…

Unborn belong to human family: Pope starts off S. America trip defending life