Buenos Aires: Pope Leo XIV celebrates mass in front of two million people

Argentina is in “Papa León fever”: around two million people took part in a gigantic open-air church service. Leo XIV acknowledged the importance of the family and advocated for protection

Pontifex's trip to Argentina Pope celebrates mass in front of two million people As of: November 9th, 2026 • 8:34 p.m

Argentina is in “Papa León fever”: around two million people took part in a gigantic open-air church service. Leo XIV appreciated the importance of the family and advocated the protection of the weak.

For Pope Leo Authorities estimate that around 2.5 million people greeted "Papa León."

The faithful lined Avenida Del Libertador for more than two kilometers, shouting "Olé, olé, León, León" as the Popemobile drove past.

In his homily, the pope praised the family as a "rock in the midst of uncertainty." Already in the morning, thousands of people had flocked to the Palermo district to watch the service on site at the Monumento de los Españoles or on one of the 33 large screens set up nearby. Many pilgrims had spent the night in tents in nearby parks. Believers could receive communion, i.e. receive hosts, at mobile stations.

In his sermon, Leo XIV emphasized the importance of the family for the community. Parents should teach their children the faith “through simple rituals,” such as “a bedtime prayer, forgiveness, and listening to one another.” The motto of the service was “Mass for the Family”. The Pope was visibly moved when he spoke of his predecessor, “our beloved Pope Francis,” who was Argentinian.

The believers prayed close together in the Argentine capital.

"The fact that Pope Leo came, as Francis' successor, to speak to the people here is very important to me," said 22-year-old student Ana Trucco to the AFP news agency. "What we need most is unity. We are so divided," said 67-year-old pensioner Soledad Troncoso.

During a visit to a facility for the disabled in the suburb of Claypole, the pontiff had previously spoken to residents and made a plea to protect the weak. “The progress of a nation is measured by how it treats people with disabilities,” he said at the home. "Your lives are not a burden on society, they are a blessing because you help us not to lose sight of what constitutes the dignity of every human being," he added.

The Pope's commitment to the disabled comes at a time when the government of ultra-liberal President Javier Milei has announced savings in this area - but the corresponding reform was postponed until 2027 after criticism.

No pope has been a guest in Argentina for almost four decades. Leo criticized Milei's political style. more

Milei's policies had already been criticized by Leo XIV shortly after his arrival in Argentina. “The economy must serve the people” and not the other way around, said the head of the Catholic Church. He stressed that “particular attention must be paid to those affected by illness, need for care and disability”.

Milei stands for drastic austerity policies and has sharply cut government spending since taking office at the end of 2023. His austerity measures brought Argentina a budget surplus for the first time in 14 years and caused inflation to fall significantly, but also triggered repeated social protests.

In Buenos Aires, Pope Leo pleaded for the protection of the weak.

Leo XIV began his twelve-day trip to Latin America on Friday with a visit to Uruguay. On Sunday he traveled on to Argentina. The Pope wants to celebrate two more masses here, to which millions of believers are also expected.

On Wednesday he will travel to Peru, where he worked as a missionary and bishop for around two decades. The pontiff survived a lung cancer operation just three and a half weeks ago.