At the end of his visit, León XIV passed through the Villa Devoto prison and then celebrated a mass in Luján before more than two million faithful. In his homily, he called for reconciliation and solidarity, and proclaimed: "Argentina, rise up and walk"
Addressing the first step of reconciliation, Leo XIV empathetically acknowledged the sufferings of the people and stated that “many of our brothers, or even ourselves, our families, may currently be experiencing moments of Calvary, suffering due to illness, poverty, lack of work, discrimination, or family breakdowns”.
In a day of Catholic fervor and historical significance, Pope Leo XIV concluded his apostolic visit to the Republic of Argentina this wednesday with a massive mass held in the square of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. Before an impressive turnout estimated at over two million people, the Supreme Pontiff offered his last homily on national soil before embarking on his journey to Peru. The historic scale of the event and the popular outcry marked an unforgettable spiritual coronation, where even political opposition figures had to respectfully converge before the strength of faith, order, and the moral values promoted by the liberal government of President Javier Milei.
The final day of the Holy Father began early in the morning in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, where he traveled to the Federal Penitentiary Complex of Villa Devoto. There, the Pontiff held a moving meeting with 69 incarcerated individuals, constituting the last penal population housed in that facility before its definitive closure. Leo XIV urged the inmates to view confinement as “a particular moment to restart their lives” and to restore family ties, while demanding prison conditions that guarantee true social reintegration and the protection of youth against organized crime.
After leaving the penitentiary, the papal entourage arrived in the Buenos Aires city of Luján. In the final stretches of the journey, Leo XIV advanced aboard the popemobile amidst cheers and acclamations, stopping to offer his pastoral blessing to children with disabilities. Upon descending from the vehicle in the esplanade of the Marian sanctuary, the Holy Father was welcomed by the Kirchnerist governor of Buenos Aires, in an institutional setting where figures from the infamous Kirchnerism were also present, along with personalities like Pampita, who made the traditional pilgrimage at dawn.
Dressed in an imposing sky blue and white chasuble in homage to the mantle of the Virgin of Luján and the national colors, the Pontiff began the liturgy after the performance of the religious hymn “A New Sun” by a local choir and the prior presentation of singer-songwriter Luciano Pereyra.
At the core of his teaching, Pope Leo XIV structured a spiritual itinerary divided into 4 fundamental stations of the Eucharist: reconciliation, illumination by the Word of God, communion, and mission. As he began his preaching, the Holy Father praised the natural beauty of the homeland exclaiming: “All the land of the 'end of the world', in its splendor and beauty, sings the glory of the Lord”, highlighting the warmth of the Argentine people in every shared conversation “between mate and mate” and the supreme value of hospitality.
He also paid an emotional tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, recalling his deep devotion to the "Brown Patroness" and his customary farewell blessing: “May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin keep you”.
Citing verses from the emblematic Zamba of Forgiveness (“forgiveness for that beggar, for that tear I made shine; forgiveness for those eyes that, looking at mine, I did not want to look at”), the Pontiff called to “reconcile with our history and our present, to generate a new future, where love has the final word”.
For the second station of illumination, the Holy Father referred to the biblical passage of the disciples of Emmaus and invoked Psalm 119, 105 to remind that “The Word of God is a lamp for our feet and light on our path”, offering Sacred Scripture as an indispensable moral compass in the face of discouragement.
In the third pillar of communion, Leo XIV emphasized that at the Lord's table "there is room for everyone, especially for the most needy: the poor and the hungry, the migrants, the sick, and the prisoners", citing the encyclical Magnifica humanitas (number 88) and highlighting the everyday gestures of charity and the culture of work of those parents who wake up early every day to bring bread to their homes.
At the climax of his homily dedicated to the missionary sending, Pope Leo XIV pronounced an electrifying mandate that resonated throughout the square: “Argentina, rise and walk”. Invoking the epistle of the apostle Saint Peter (Mark 16:15) and the ethical teachings of Saint Augustine (“love and do what you want: if you keep silent, keep silent out of love; if you shout, shout out of love; if you correct, correct out of love; if you forgive, forgive out of love. Let the root of charity exist within you; from that root, only good can spring”), His Holiness demanded turning faith into active testimony.
In his final prayer before the patronal image, recalling that his own pontificate began on May 8 —the feast day of the Virgin of Luján—, the Holy Father pleaded: “Help him to create bridges of charity and networks of solidarity”, entrusting the entire nation to be indestructibly founded on Christ as “the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11). With this message of peace, dignity, and moral restoration, Leo XIV concluded his historic visit to Argentina before flying to Lima.
