Church of Scientology the "United Churches of Florida" the citizens and City Council of Clearwater did not realize that the building's owners were actually the Church of Scientology until after the building's purchase. Clearwater citizens' groups, headed by Mayor Gabriel Cazares, rallied strongly against Scientology establishing a base in the city (repeatedly referring to the organization as a cult), but Flag Base was established nonetheless. In the years since its foundation, the Flag Land Base has expanded as the Church of Scientology has gradually purchased large amounts of additional property in the downtown and waterfront Clearwater area. Scientology's largest project in Clearwater has
Cathedral of Florida National Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Thirty-Three (); the image of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, patron saint of Uruguay, is venerated here. In 1988, during his second pastoral visit to Uruguay, Pope John Paul II visited this cathedral. Cathedral of Florida The Cathedral Basilica of Florida () is the main Roman Catholic church building of Florida, Uruguay. It is the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Florida since 1956. At this place there was originally another, smaller church, the Chapel of Our Lady of Luján of El Pintado (), which in 1805 was elevated to parish church.