Pope Leo XIV to receive keys to Montevideo during November visit

Pope Leo XIV will receive the key to Montevideo when he visits Uruguay in November, according to a resolution signed by Mayor Mario Bergara.

The resolution recalls a city rule stating that Montevideo’s key is presented by the mayor to heads of state or government who visit the city. Leo XIV will travel to Uruguay from November 6 to 8 as an official guest and in his role as head of the Vatican state.

On the afternoon of Friday, November 6, the pope is expected to appear publicly at Plaza Independencia with President Yamandú Orsi, according to sources connected to the visit. He will travel along the Rambla, with the final stretch to the plaza running along 18 de Julio. He will then go to the cathedral in Ciudad Vieja to meet priests and bishops.

Leo XIV will spend both nights in Montevideo at the Apostolic Nunciature on Bulevar Artigas. The Vatican’s embassy in Uruguay previously hosted Pope John Paul II during his visits in 1987 and 1988. During the day, however, the pope will travel beyond the capital. On Saturday, he will fly from Carrasco Airport to Paysandú for a celebration, then return to Montevideo to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and the Catholic Church’s social work in Casavalle. He will also deliver a speech on education at the Catholic University of Uruguay and lead an evening celebration at Centenario Stadium.

On Sunday, Leo XIV will travel by road to Florida. He will stop at the basilica in the departmental capital to pray to Uruguay’s patron, the Virgin of the Thirty-Three, and later hold another celebration at the Irineo Leguisamo municipal racetrack. After lunch with priests, he will return to Montevideo before flying to Buenos Aires to continue his Latin American tour.