Pope Leo XIV Urges Argentine Families to Hold On to Hope in Buenos Aires
Before a crowd in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Pope Leo XIV celebrated a Mass dedicated to Argentine families, spoke about their difficulties, and recalled Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated a large Mass in Buenos Aires on Monday, November 9, dedicated to Argentine families. The celebration took place at the Monument to the Spaniards, in the Palermo neighborhood, on Avenida Del Libertador, and is part of the Pope's apostolic visit to Argentina. In his homily, the Pope affirmed that the country's values are rooted in the family and asked the faithful not to lose hope in the face of the crisis.
Among the difficulties facing households, Leo XIV mentioned precarious work, domestic violence, separations, and addictions. In the face of these tensions, he assured that God is present and that there is no reason to fear. He also urged families to reject the increasingly widespread idea that the Christian family is something outdated. As concrete paths, he recommended shared prayer, reading of the Scriptures, the Eucharist, mutual listening, and forgiveness, practices that, according to his message, sustain family life in the hardest moments.
The Pope arrived at the site in the popemobile and greeted people along the route, a journey followed by faithful crowded on both sides of the avenue. Before the celebration, the artists Soledad and Natalia Pastorutti offered a musical welcome that set the tone for the day. During the liturgy, the broadcaster Fernando Bravo read a passage from the prophet Ezekiel, one of the moments of the celebration dedicated to the Word.
The gathering drew thousands of people, many of whom arrived the night before to secure a place close to the altar. Attendees carried Argentine and Vatican flags, a mix of national and religious symbols that accompanied the entire celebration. According to preliminary estimates from the organizers, some 2.5 million people attended the Mass. This figure, however, has not yet been confirmed by independent sources and should therefore be taken as provisional.
In one of the most moving passages of his message, Leo XIV recalled Pope Francis, who was Archbishop of Buenos Aires before his election as pontiff. The mention of his predecessor, who had been the first Latin American pope in history, was received with applause from the crowd. For many faithful porteños, the reference connected the celebration with the recent memory of the Argentine Church and with the figure who had shaped the city's church life for years.
The Mass concluded with the entrustment of Argentine families to the Virgin of Luján and to Saint Joseph. The Virgin of Luján, patroness of Argentina, is one of the most revered Marian devotions in the country, and the Luján Shrine receives pilgrims from across the national territory every year. With this entrustment, the celebration closed its central message: sustaining families in faith and hope in the face of everyday difficulties.
Source: eqsnotas.com
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