Pope tells faithful in secular Uruguay that smallness isn't insignificance

(8 Nov 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ++ PART NIGHT SHOTS ++ ++MUSIC AT SOURCE++ ++COMMERCIAL MUSIC, MUSIC VIDEO AND/OR PERFORMANCES MUST BE CLEARED ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN LOCAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE AND COPYRIGHT AGREEMENTS WITH YOUR APPLICABLE COLLECTING SOCIETY++ ASSOCIATED PRESS Montevideo, Uruguay - 7 November 2026 1. Various of Pope Leo XIV arriving at stadium on popemobile, waving to crowd 2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Pope Leo XIV: "The number of people who spend much of their lives without a regular connection to the Church or religious practice is growing. Believers in Uruguay have had to learn to live out and proclaim their faith in that context." 3. Woman drinking mate tea 4. Man recording on phone 5. Man displaying Venezuelan flag 6. Various of people turning phone flashlights on 7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Pope Leo XIV: "God chose Bethlehem, and that choice alone is enough to prevent us from equating smallness with insignificance." 8. Person waving Uruguayan flag 9. Banner reading (Spanish): "Welcome to Uruguay Pope Leo XIV" 10. Luci Machiarena, schoolteacher, drinking mate tea 11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luci Machiarena, schoolteacher: "I have this opportunity, and it’s the third time I’ve seen a pope in person. I saw John Paul II face to face, then Francis in Brazil, and now this, which is, and will be, unforgettable. 12. Women arriving at stadium 13. Crowd at stadium 14. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Emilia Bolazzi, dentist: "I was telling my boyfriend today that I’m surprised. I see so many young people, too. I think (Uruguay) really is religious. I didn’t think it was, but today, there must be a reason why we’re all here." 15. Man waving flag 16. Child waving Uruguayan flag pennants 17. People applauding STORYLINE: Pope Leo XIV told Catholics in Uruguay on Saturday that their relatively small numbers did not diminish their significance, as he led an evening prayer vigil at Montevideo's Centenario Stadium. The Vatican said about 70,000 people gathered inside the stadium and another 30,000 watched on screens outside. Leo acknowledged the growing number of people living without a regular connection to the church or religious practice. "Believers in Uruguay have had to learn to live out and proclaim their faith in that context," he said. He invoked Jesus' birthplace to underline his message. "God chose Bethlehem, and that choice alone is enough to prevent us from equating smallness with insignificance," Leo said. The vigil capped his only full day in Uruguay, Latin America's most secular country, where even Catholic holidays have secular names. Ahead of the gathering, people carrying flags and drinking mate, the herbal tea closely associated with Uruguay, arrived at the stadium. Schoolteacher Luci Machiarena said seeing Leo would be unforgettable, recalling earlier encounters with John Paul II and Francis. For Emilia Bolazzi, a dentist, the turnout challenged her perception of religion in Uruguay. "I see so many young people, too," she said. "I think (Uruguay) really is religious. I didn't think it was, but today, there must be a reason why we're all here." The stadium also hosted John Paul II during the previous papal visit to Uruguay in 1988. Earlier Saturday, Leo celebrated Mass in the western city of Paysandu and visited a Montevideo neighborhood where church groups provided housing, job opportunities and drug rehabilitation programs. He was scheduled to leave Sunday for Argentina, the next stop on a three-nation South American tour ending in Peru. AP Video shot by: Martín Silva Rey 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/17fb635c6f934febb15d48562ad2de49