Pope Leo Concludes Argentina Visit with Massive Lujan Mass, Heads to Peru

Pope Leo concluded his visit to Argentina on Wednesday with a final event that drew an estimated 2 million people, according to Reuters. The gathering took place at the shrine of Our Lady of Lujan, Argentina's most important Catholic devotional site, located about an hour west of Buenos Aires. Pilgrims had gathered for days in advance, with crowds stretching for miles and many walking up to 10 kilometers (six miles) as streets and a main highway were closed for security.

The pope arrived in an open-air popemobile, greeted by chants of "Leo, Leo, Leo" and waves of white-and-yellow Vatican flags. During the outdoor Mass, he asked God to protect Argentina and urged Argentines to make room for everyone in society, "especially those who are most in need: the poor and the hungry, migrants, the sick and prisoners." Earlier in the day, he visited one of Argentina's largest penitentiaries, where he hugged several inmates and called on guards to treat detainees humanely.

The Argentina leg, part of a 12-day South America tour through November 17, has highlighted the Church's criticism of President Javier Milei's cuts to social programs. Pope Leo, who holds US and Peruvian citizenship, will next travel to Peru for a personal homecoming. The visit is expected to be emotional as he returns to the country where he served as a missionary for about 20 years before becoming pope last year.

In Peru, the pope will spend three days in the northern city of Chiclayo, where he was bishop from 2015 to 2023. The trip will also test how directly he is willing to engage with the politics of his adopted nation. Despite undergoing lung cancer surgery less than a month before the tour, Pope Leo has appeared in good form, delivering long speeches in a firm, clear voice throughout the intense itinerary.