Pope Leo tours violence-hit Montevideo area, praises church’s social work

(7 Nov 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Montevideo, Uruguay - 7 November 2026 1. Pope Leo XIV arriving in Casavalle neighborhood 2. Various of pope greeting a person in a wheelchair 3. Sign with the Virgin of Guadalupe reading (Spanish) "Families of Guadalupe project" 3. Various of pope visiting social housing project 4. Pope greeting local residents 5. Various of pope leaving social housing project 6. Various of Casavalle residents, houses and shacks 7. Police standing by 8. Dogs on the street 9. Man with Uruguayan flag 10. Various of pope on stage STORYLINE: Pope Leo XIV toured Casavalle, an area of small neighborhoods in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, beset by drug trafficking and gang violence, on Saturday during the second day of his visit to the country. In Borro area at Casavalle, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish builds homes and supports addicts in their recovery, with donations including from The Papal Foundation, the U.S.-based group of wealthy Catholics who fund special papal projects. In his remarks, Leo praised the work church groups were doing and said Christians must commit themselves to the charity and closeness shown by the biblical figure of the good Samaritan, “who did not remain indifferent upon seeing misfortune, but took responsibility for his brother’s life.” Uruguay has universal access to primary school and enrolls nearly all its children, but only about half of Uruguayans finish high school, one of the lowest rates in Latin America, according to the National Institute for Educational Evaluation. The graduation rate is even worse for children from the poorest households, where only one in four graduate compared to nearly 9 out of ten from the wealthiest families. AP video shot by Silvia Stellacci. Produced by Paolo Santalucia =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9b7594eaff18443d819ff382151447b8