With an ode to mate, pope urges faithful in Uruguay to build bridges of fraternity and faith

PAYSANDÚ, Uruguay (AP) — Pope Leo XIV urged an estimated 40,000 people in Uruguay on Saturday to build bridges of fraternity and faith, as he used his first Mass in South America to deliver an ode to the region's beloved mate tea and raise the profile of the Catholic Church in its most secular country.

The crowd erupted in the stadium chant of “Olé, olé, olé, olé, Pope, Pope!” when Leo's plane landed in Paysandú, in western Uruguay on the border with Argentina. They cheered again, blew horns and waved yellow handkerchiefs when he arrived in his open-sided popemobile at the Mass site in the Parque París Londres, a sprawling green space on the southern edge of Paysandú.

More than 30,000 people — many from Uruguay but also from neighboring Argentina and Brazil — had registered in advance to attend the service, around 375 kilometers (230 miles) from the capital, Montevideo. The Vatican said Saturday another 10,000 had shown up beyond that, despite the morning rain and blustery, gray skies.

Because of its accessible location on the Uruguay River, the city was chosen to host Leo’s first Mass at the start of his three-nation South American tour that was in doubt after he underwent lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13.

Crowds of faithful in rain ponchos, many in the Vatican’s yellow, began streaming into the site when the gates opened at 5:30 a.m. as a band played popular Spanish hymns. Some in the crowd said they were deeply moved that Leo pressed on with his ambitious 12-day tour despite his recent cancer diagnosis.

“He’s the representative of Christ but he’s human. And we weren’t sure if he could make it, but he pushed through for us,” said Soledad Sánchez, 73, who had driven to Paysandú from northern Uruguay, her eyes filling with tears. “He made it here to give us a message of peace because he knows our world needs it right now.”

Leo, who arrived in Uruguay on Friday, is seeking to urge the people in South America’s most secular country, with a population of 3.5 million, to turn to the Catholic faith for strength in confronting today’s problems and challenges.

In his homily, Leo urged the faithful to build bridges of faith, fraternity and encounter, recalling the nearby bridge over the Uruguay River that unites Uruguay and Argentina and over which many pilgrims traveled to attend the Mass.

He also pointed to the ritual of drinking mate, the ubiquitous bitter herbal tea that Uruguayans and their neighbors carry everywhere, as a poignant symbol of unity and encounter that he suggested should be applied to spreading the faith today.

Mate, a cherished national symbol in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay, is above all a sharing ritual. The leaves are steeped in a hollowed gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla, and the gourd passes from hand to hand among friends, family and sometimes strangers, refilled for hours.

Everyone drinks from the same straw, and Uruguayans drink more mate per person than anyone else in the world, roughly 9 kilograms (about 20 pounds) of the dried leaf a year, according to industry estimates.

In his comments, Leo delivered an ode to mate. “It teaches us to share and to be together, strengthening the bonds that unite us as brothers and sisters,” he said, drawing a round of applause and a smile from the pope.

Symbols like mate give identity and a sense of belonging that point to the future, he said.

“Faith, too, has been part of the life of the Uruguayan people since their earliest days, and it must be passed on to future generations with creative courage,” he said.

Leo was to press the message of the church's commitment to helping Uruguayans later Saturday by touring a Montevideo neighborhood beset by drug trafficking and gang violence, where the church is working with municipal authorities to build housing and provide rehab programs for addicts.

His final event, too, was likely to drive home the call to reject religious indifference and embrace the faith: a prayer vigil in Montevideo's Centenary Stadium.

Located in western Uruguay and just across a bridge from the eastern Argentine city of Colón, Paysandú was easier to reach for many Argentines than any of the stops on Leo’s part of the tour in Argentina, his next stop after Uruguay.

In Argentina, Leo will visit Buenos Aires, Luján and Córdoba before heading to Peru, his second homeland and the final destination of his tour.

“Argentina is a much more religious country than Uruguay, and there’s this desire to be here to witness something historic,” said Luciana Lobato, 20, an Argentine tour agent who organized buses of 180 pilgrims from across the border.

Some young Catholics involved in local church groups hoped the sight of a pope drawing crowds would challenge Uruguay’s image as a country indifferent to religion.

“The reality I see in my town is that there are tons of young people who are really interested in religion, who are trying to find meaning and community in difficult moments,” said Teresa Sabellini, 18, from Paysandú.

“And now look around here. This place is full of people,” she added.

Still, Paysandú itself greeted the pope quietly, as though it were an ordinary weekend, with scant decorations and only a few homes seen flying Vatican flags.

Saturday’s Mass was dedicated to Blessed Jacinto Vera, a 19th-century priest who became Uruguay’s first bishop. Leo praised him on Friday as a pastor who traveled the country’s roads to help the poor, saying that people who met him “found something of Christ’s goodness” even before he preached.

Some younger attendees on Saturday said Leo’s humane tone and emphasis on care for the vulnerable resonated beyond the faithful in their secular country as people grapple with a turbulent world.

“I wouldn’t call myself religious, but I like this pope. He has a really good message for humanity,” said Santiago Biglieri, 18, a Colombian who lives in Uruguay. “Even for the nonbelievers, there’s something to take from his ideas.”

Winfield reported from Montevideo, Uruguay.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Pope Leo XIV arrives to preside over Mass at Parque París Londres in Paysandú, Uruguay, on the second day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV blesses a child as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello

Pope Leo XIV waves after celebrating vespers at the Cathedral in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich)

Pope Leo XIV is transported to the Cathedral in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Pope Leo XIV celebrates vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and seminarians at the Metropolitan Cathedral, in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the first day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV arrives to celebrate vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and seminarians at the Metropolitan Cathedral, in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the first day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV waves after celebrating vespers at the Cathedral in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich)

Catholic faithful hold an Argentine flag bearing images of the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV as they wait for Pope Leo XIV to arrive to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

TURIN, Italy (AP) — World champion South Africa smothered a depleted Italy 66-7 as predicted in Nations Championship rugby on Saturday.

The Springboks scored nine tries, all converted, at Juventus Stadium. A halftime lead of 45-0 and Italy's weak defense hinted at the Springboks threatening a rare century but errors crept in, the intensity was reduced, and Italy rediscovered its pride.

South Africa improved to 4-0 in the championship and boosted its aim to make the final by giving its points differential lead over New Zealand a huge bump. The Boks play Six Nations champion France in Paris on Friday.

Italy dropped to 0-4 with Argentina and Fiji to come. The Azzurri were missing a clutch of injured front-liners but played noticeably better when replacement halves Stephen Varney and Tommaso Allan arrived after an hour.

Despite one loss in history to Italy, and 10 years ago, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus picked an uncompromising side based on the Greatest Rivalry series win over New Zealand two months ago. They hit the ground running.

Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, given a ride behind a dominant pack, scored from a show-and-go 45 meters out that he finished with an acrobatic plant beside the right corner flag. Feinberg-Mngomezulu was perfect off the tee — 10 out of 10 — and finished with 26 points, his third best match haul in tests.

The Italians stopped an early lineout maul but scrumhalf Morné van den Berg darted over from a ruck. The Boks fixed their lineout drive and scored four times from it, starting with tries for Malcolm Marx and captain Siya Kolisi.

Fullback Damian Willemse finished a Lood de Jager chargedown and, while Italy prop Muhamed Hasa was in the sin-bin, Marx scored his second from another lineout drive.

Italy gained just 60 meters in the first half and forced South Africa to make only 25 tackles. The host's problems were also compounded by wasting what little possession it gathered with poor kicking.

It didn't look like it would get any easier when all six replacement forwards in South Africa's Bomb Squad were unloaded in the 46th minute and Wilco Louw immediately scored after a Jesse Kriel run.

But Italy scored next thanks to Varney's huge cut-out pass to unmarked lock Federico Ruzza on the left wing.

The Boks had the last say, though, with tries for flanker Paul de Villiers and busy wing Ethan Hooker.

See AP’s full rugby coverage here

South Africa's Morne Van Den Berg in action during Rugby Union Nations Championship match between Italy and South Africa in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

South Africa's Center Jesse Kriel, left, and Italy's Ross Vintcent challenge for the ball during Rugby Union Nations Championship match between Italy and South Africa in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Italy's Wing Monty Ioane in action during Rugby Union Nations Championship match between Italy and South Africa in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)