Pope Leo presides over prayer vigil in his visit to Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV presided over an evening prayer vigil at Montevideo's Centenario Stadium which hosted Pope John Paul II during the last papal visit to Uruguay in 1988.

The Vatican said some 70,000 people were inside and another 30,000 outside watching on TV screens during the Saturday event.

Earlier, the pope had urged Uruguayans to build bridges of fraternity and faith, as he delivered an ode to the region's beloved mate tea and raised the profile of the Catholic Church in Latin America's most secular country.

Leo spent his first day in Uruguay pointing to the church's historic roots in the country and the work it's doing today.