“Uruguay will not be the same after today”—a remark made by President Yamandu Orsi during the farewell at Carrasco International Airport—is making headlines this Monday.

From the crowds in Paysandu to the streets of Casavalle, Leo XIV encountered the many different faces of the country, reports the outlet Ambito, which describes the papal visit as historic.

“I didn’t see a single sign of hostility; I saw a people who had taken to the streets,” remarked Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, as quoted by El Pais.

Montevideo Portal shared a message that the Pope sent to President Orsi upon his departure from the country.

In it, he expressed his “renewed gratitude” to the president, the authorities, and the general public for the “warm welcome” and “generous hospitality” he received during his stay from November 6 to 8.

For his part, President Orsi noted on social media that the Pope’s visit “turned into a great celebration for the Uruguayan people, especially for the Catholic community.”

The president expressed his appreciation that Leo XIV chose Uruguay as the first stop on his South American tour.

“Thank you for bestowing upon us the honor of being the gateway for the Pope’s visit to South America,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, the publication Subrayado highlights the large crowds that accompanied the Pope “during his historic visit to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the 33 in Florida.”

This refers to the final Mass celebrated by the Pope yesterday, which was dedicated to the patron saint of Uruguay.

Meanwhile, Caras y Caretas runs the headline “Pope Leo XIV already misses Uruguay,” noting that “(Javier) Milei turned his arrival in Argentina into a political dispute.”

The publication contrasts this with the atmosphere of unity and harmony that his visit fostered in Uruguay—a setting where certain differences were, for the time being, set aside.

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