Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday urged Argentines to follow the holy example of the country's most recognized saints during a Mass in the central city of Córdoba, which drew an estimated 650,000 attendees. This follows a larger Mass in Buenos Aires on Monday, which attracted approximately 2.5 million people, marking the largest turnout for any of Leo XIV’s foreign Masses to date.
Faithful from across Argentina traveled long distances to attend the liturgies, with many expressing surprise and joy at the pontiff's visit, which is the first papal trip to the country in nearly 40 years. Córdoba was chosen as a host city due to its central location.
In his homily, Leo XIV highlighted Córdoba as a "land of saints," referencing figures such as St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, known as the "Gaucho priest," and María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, or "Mama Antula," Argentina's first female saint. The pontiff called on attendees to pursue holiness, stating, "These saints and blesseds have already fulfilled their mission on Earth. Today, it is our turn to follow the radiant example of holiness they have left with us."
The liturgy in Córdoba was held at the Argentine Aircraft Factory, a site with historical ties to the nation's past, including its military's counterinsurgency campaigns in the 1970s that preceded the 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
Following the Mass, Leo XIV met privately with 20 individuals representing the city's poor and marginalized, including advocates for victims of human trafficking and a woman searching for relatives lost during the dictatorship. Alba Camargo, who was detained as a child during that era, expressed hope that the meeting would offer support for those seeking truth and justice.
This encounter comes at a time when the current government has reduced funding for memorial sites and organizations dedicated to finding the disappeared. Cardinal Ángel Rossi, the archbishop of Córdoba and a critic of these policies, has previously condemned austerity measures as "state and institutional sadism."
On his final day in Argentina, Leo XIV is scheduled to visit the Devoto Prison in Buenos Aires, a former clandestine detention and torture center. He will meet with inmates and offer prayers, continuing a practice he established during his time as archbishop.