Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass on Tuesday in Córdoba, central Argentina, before a crowd that MercoPress put at about 650,000. In the homily, he urged the faithful to practise their faith in daily life during his tour of South America.
The crowd figure comes from El País, as cited by MercoPress. No second source or official count was provided, so the estimate rests on that single outlet.
In his homily on holiness and local saints, Leo said: "There is no better way to teach than by setting an example with one’s own life," according to MercoPress.
The Mass was held at the grounds of the Argentine Aircraft Factory, covering more than 200 hectares, with 50 giant screens, according to MercoPress. The same outlet reported that attendance in Córdoba was lower than the some 2.5 million estimated by authorities in Buenos Aires and the million the provincial government had anticipated.
After the Mass, the Pope privately received about 20 people from social struggles, including Alba Camargo, according to MercoPress. Camargo asked him to name the disappeared and to encourage those with knowledge of the crimes, including clergy, to come forward. The Vatican gave no details of the meeting, and it has not been reported what, if anything, the Pope said in response.
The visit has highlighted the Church’s criticism of President Javier Milei’s cuts to social programs, according to France 24 and Reuters via the Straits Times. The Pope, then Bishop Robert Prevost, had also criticized the 2017 pardon of the late former president Alberto Fujimori, saying he should seek forgiveness from victims. Keiko Fujimori is now Peru’s president. Córdoba’s Jesuit Block has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, according to MercoPress.
On Wednesday, Leo will celebrate a morning outdoor Mass at the shrine of Our Lady of Lujan and visit one of Argentina’s largest penitentiaries, according to France 24. He will then fly to Peru, landing at Callao Air Base at 5:30 p.m. local time. Expected crowds for the Lujan Mass have been forecast at millions, but these are not confirmed figures.
In Peru, the Pope is due to address President Keiko Fujimori at the presidential palace and will spend three days in Chiclayo. The sources do not include a response from the Fujimori government ahead of that address, or from the Milei government to the Church’s criticism.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.