Below is the letter sent by Pope Francis on November 9, 2020, to Bishop Bernardo Bastres Florence, S.D.B., of Punta Arenas, and to all the dioceses of Chile on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the first Mass on Chilean territory. That first Mass was celebrated on November 11, 1520, by Fray Pedro de Valderrama, one of the chaplains for the expedition of Portuguese explorer Hernando de Magallanes.
Letter of the Holy Father
To His Most Reverend Excellency