Pope Leo XIV used mate as an example to convey a message of union in Uruguay

As part of his first tour of Latin America, Pope Leo XIV surprised the faithful by using mate as an example to convey a message of union, friendship and solidarity. The reflection took place this Saturday, November 7, during a mass celebrated in Paysandú, Uruguay, where nearly 40,000 people gathered to listen to the leader of the Catholic Church

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The ceremony took place in the Paris London Park, a space located near the border with Argentina, where pilgrims arrived from different parts of the region. This was the Pope's first mass mass in Latin America, as part of a tour that also includes

visits to Argentina and Peru.

During his homily, Leo XIV invited those present to reflect on the importance of keeping human relationships alive and transmitting the faith to new generations. To this end, he chose three elements representative of the Uruguayan landscape and culture: mate, bridges and palm groves

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What Pope Leo XIV said about mate during his visit to Uruguay

One of the highlights of the celebration came when the Pontiff referred to a deeply rooted custom

in Uruguay and Argentina: sharing mate.

“Mate is a sign of familiarity, friendship and encounter. It teaches us to share and to be together, to strengthen the bonds that unite and unite us,” he said before the thousands of faithful who attended

the ceremony.

The Pope explained that this tradition goes far beyond the simple act of consuming a drink, since it represents an opportunity to generate encounters, talk and strengthen ties between people.

“Surely mate accompanied them today too, on the journey on the way to this celebration, and will accompany them when they return,” he said.

In this regard, he stressed that the habit of sharing it symbolizes “acceptance, integration and common values”, aspects that he considered fundamental to coexistence in community.

In addition, he defined the moment of drinking mate as “a ritual full of symbolism, where there is dialogue without words and every detail has

its own meaning”.

However, his reflection was not limited to shared rounds. Leo XIV also referred to those who choose to drink mate in solitude and find in that habit a space for introspection

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“In those spaces of solitude, how many times have so many of you entrusted your concerns and needs, your deepest desires and desires to God,” he said.

In this way, the Pontiff linked a daily tradition with the importance of friendship, accompaniment and spirituality.

The message of Pope Leo XIV about the bridges that connect Uruguay and Argentina Another of the

symbols chosen by Leo XIV was the General Artigas international bridge, which crosses the Uruguay River and connects the city of Paysandú with Colón, in the Argentine province of

Entre Ríos.

The Pontiff used this construction as a metaphor for the need to overcome differences and create spaces for dialogue between people.

As he explained, bridges represent “openness, communication and exchange”, values that bring communities closer together and strengthen human relationships.

“How important it is to be bridge builders! That is the vocation to which we are all called: to build bridges, to strengthen ties, to unite, to communicate, to transmit the joy of faith,” he said.

However, he also warned that every construction needs firm foundations to stand. Based on this comparison, he emphasized the importance of a solid religious formation that allows us to sustain personal convictions in the face of difficulties

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In this context, he invited believers to deepen their knowledge in order to “give reasons for our faith to everyone who asks us” and avoid “letting themselves be carried away by strange doctrines”.