Yesterday, Cardinal Daniel Sturla Berhouet, SDB of Montevideo, Uruguay gave an interview to CARVE radio in Montevideo to discuss his general experiences of the conclave which elected Pope Leo XIV. Uruguay is the least Catholic country of Latin America, with only 38% of the population identifying as such, and 52% affirming they have no religion (2023).
“What was going through your mind as you walked to the conclave?” asked the reporter.
“I would always wonder what it would be like to be at Saint Peter’s Basilica when a Pope was elected. I never imagined I’d be on the opposite side, on the inside. I felt the weight of the responsibility of what we were going to do,” shared the Cardinal.
The reporter concluded the seventeen minute interview with this question, “I have to ask, what are the odds that the Pope will come here [to Uruguay]?”
“I would say very high, because he has it very clear in his mind, that Argentina and Uruguay were missing in Francis’ itinerary (not in his desire to visit), but those trips did not become a reality. I believe his first visit to Latin America will have Argentina and Uruguay on its itinerary, and very possibly Peru.”
This could very well only be the Cardinal’s opinion, but at the same time, he just got back from the conclave and may know something. Time will tell!
Listen to the interview in Spanish here.
Picture of Cardinal taken from Iglesia Católica de Montevideo Facebook Page