00:00Uruguay is the least religious country in Latin America and today it will welcome Pope Leo XIV,
00:06the second pope, to set foot on its soil. How do secularism and religion coexist in this small
00:12country of three million people? Let's see. Uruguay is preparing for a papal visit after 38 years.
00:22The last visit was by John Paul II in 1988, but the country that will welcome
00:29Leon XIV is very different from any other in the region, as here the separation of church and state
00:36is part of the national identity. It is a country with a clearly secular foundation,
00:44and that secularism, the process of secularism and the subsequent secularization of Uruguay
00:48began in the late 19th century and was concentrated mainly in the early decades of the 20th century,
00:55involving a number of state measures and its particularly problematic relationship with the
01:00Catholic Church. Secularization began in 1861, when cemeteries were transferred to state control,
01:11religious education was then abolished in state schools, and the 1918 constitution definitively
01:18separates church and state. More than a century later, the figures confirmed this trend. According
01:24to the last test Latino barometer survey, 52 percent of Uruguayans say they have no religion. This is
01:31the highest figure since the survey began, and the first time it has exceeded half.
01:38We have a high percentage of atheists and agnostics. It is much higher than what one would find in Latin
01:44America. In that sense, it is a rare country. That is to say, we are an anomaly in a country
01:49so deeply rooted
01:50in Catholicism, and now also in neo-petencostalism, and new forms of evangelicalism and others,
01:58all of which are clearly present in Uruguay, new spiritualities, and so on. But let us say that
02:05this secularism not only means that the number of atheists and agnostics is high, but also that
02:11those who believe do so in a different way. This secular country will welcome Paul Leo for
02:18theme and will be the first stop on his South American tour. The Uruguayans say they are pleased
02:24by this development but defend the country's secularism above all else. It's wonderful that there is
02:32secularism in Uruguay. It doesn't mean that one has to belong to one religion and that all others are
02:39banned. Rather, the idea of secularism in Uruguay is that all religions should have. Everyone has
02:46access to what their philosophical and spiritual beliefs dictate. So it's great that the Pope is
02:52coming for Christians and for Catholics. It's a wonderful thing and something that makes a lot of
02:57people happy. Everyone is free to think as they wish. Believing in God is a beautiful thing and I believe
03:08it makes us better people without offending the beliefs of others. It's very good because everyone
03:16should have their own opinion. Everyone should have their own convictions, of course.
03:22A recent poll shows that eight of ten Uruguayans are aware of the visit and almost six of ten consider
03:29it
03:29important. Although 58 percent will approve of the Pope's visiting parliament, one in four is
03:35supposed. This country of contrast and a strong secular tradition. We welcome Leon 14th on the first stop
03:43of his tour of South America, America del Sur. Mateo Grille, Telesur, Montevideo, Uruguay.
