Pope Leo urges Uruguayan youth to embrace human connection
The pontiff also urged young Uruguayans to consider marriage and family, and Argentina raised its security alert ahead of his visit.
Pope Leo XIV urged young people in Montevideo on Saturday to face modern uncertainty with courage, build real human relationships and consider marriage and family, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking at a prayer vigil attended by thousands of young people at Montevideo's Estadio Centenario, where 70,000 people gathered, the pope warned that the isolation of the digital age is growing.
He said virtual interactions cannot replace genuine relationships, and urged young people not to withdraw into the superficial world of screens and algorithms.
He encouraged them to look one another in the eye, hold hands and share their struggles and joys face to face.
The pope also voiced concern about growing secularization and falling interest in religion, and urged young Uruguayans to have the courage to marry and start families rather than see children as a burden.
At a meeting with academics, students and education workers at the Catholic University of Uruguay, he called on schools and universities to promote the wise use of technology and artificial intelligence, keeping people at the center of progress.
Later, he visited Casavalle, one of Montevideo's poorest neighborhoods and an area with high levels of crime, where he said no child in a country so rich in resources should go hungry or lose a decent education because of insecurity.
The second day of the visit also included a surprise stop at a residence for elderly priests in Montevideo and an open-air Mass in Paysandu, near the Argentine border, attended by 40,000 people.
During the Mass, he embraced mate, the traditional drink of Uruguay, as a symbol of fellowship, saying, "Mate is not merely a drink; it is a concrete symbol of coming together."
Argentina's government raised its security alert to the highest level ahead of the pope's arrival, and announced it was preparing an unprecedented security operation for him, who is scheduled to arrive Sunday.
The visit is the second leg of the pope's South American tour.
