Pope Leo meets with all clergy from Argentina in Cordoba

 

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Argentina
• apostolic journey
• meeting
• priests
• religious
• Consecrated Life
• vocations
• catholic church

Pope to Argentina’s clergy and religious: ‘Let us not give up!'

Addressing Argentinian clergy and pastoral workers in Córdoba, the Pope calls for renewed fidelity to the original call of Christ, a deeper commitment to the poor and the courage to persevere in mission, even amid suffering and personal limitations.

Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV met with bishops, priests, deacons, religious, seminarians and pastoral workers at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Córdoba on Tuesday, the third day of his apostolic visit to Argentina.

The encounter included a welcome address by Cardinal Ángel Sixto Rossi, in which he called for a Church attentive to people’s needs, particularly those most wounded, and committed to walking alongside them in neighborhoods, prisons and hospitals, as well as testimonies from four people involved in the life of the Church.

In his address, the Pope invited those present to return to the source of their vocation and renew their relationship with Christ, recalling the spiritual tradition of Argentina and figures such as Mama Antula, Saint José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero and Pope Francis.

Returning to the heart of one’s vocation

Drawing on the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, he asked them to consider the question: “Why are we here?” He warned that pastoral commitments can sometimes take the place of prayer and intimacy with God.

“We work hard for God yet spend less and less time with him,” he said, calling for renewed attention to the Eucharist, the Word of God and personal prayer.

Pope Leo also highlighted the need for ongoing conversion, humility and freedom to respond to God's call, including when it leads in unexpected directions. He encouraged pastoral workers to examine their lives and remain open to the places and people to whom they are sent.

A Church close to the poor

Reflecting on the Church's social mission, he recognized its commitment to those who suffer, while insisting that material assistance must be accompanied by spiritual care and the proclamation of Christ.

Again, he recalled Pope Francis and his teaching, and he quoted Evangelii Gaudium: “the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care.”

The Church, the Pope added, is not simply a humanitarian organization, but is sent to bring Christ to the world.

Fidelity amid suffering and limitations

Addressing seminarians, Pope Leo encouraged them to learn to see others through God's eyes and to allow themselves to be evangelized by the people they encounter. “Even those who have the least can teach us a great deal,” he said, referring to the testimony shared during the meeting.

He also spoke of perseverance when ministry brings weariness or few visible results. “Even amid doubts and weariness, one continues to say with one’s life: ‘Here I am,’” he said.

And recalling Saint Héctor Valdivielso Sáez and Saint Brochero, he explained that physical limitations and difficult circumstances need not bring an end to service.

Pope Leo XIV during meeting with Argentinian clergy, religious and pastoral workers (VATICAN MEDIA)

Testimonies of faith and service

Responding to the testimonies brought by Laura Sampallo, a consecrated woman, and by Father Martín Carranza, a priest of the Archdiocese of Córdoba, the Pope recalled his own recent hospitalization and encouraged those present not to lose their missionary zeal.

“Our strength may run out, but God’s power never will,” he said, adding that technology can also help the Church continue to proclaim the Gospel.

Bringing his address to a close, Pope Leo returned to the Ignatian prayer of offering oneself to God: “Take, Lord, and receive…” He invited those present to ask whether the Lord could still make use of them. “If the answer remains ‘yes,’ then there is much ahead of us. Let us not give up!”

Finally, he encouraged the Church in Argentina to continue fostering vocations, vibrant parishes, religious communities and seminaries capable of forming people for holiness. He also recalled Pope Francis’ appeal to young people in Rio de Janeiro, in which he spoke of a Church that continues to “make noise” through its missionary presence.

Pope Leo concluded by entrusting the Church in Argentina to Our Lady of Luján and urging those present to return to their communities with renewed hope, freedom, and commitment to their mission.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates a Tuesday Mass for the people of Argentina

 

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• apostolic journey
• Argentina
• mass
• homily
• liturgical year
• saints and blessed
• evangelization

Pope at Mass in Argentina: Mission is a ‘joyful duty’

At Mass celebrated “for the sanctification of the Argentine people,” Pope Leo XIV says carrying out the mission entrusted to us is a “joyful duty” that can best be accomplished by the example of one’s own life.

By Christopher Wells

In a land “rich in the fruits of holiness,” Pope Leo challenged the faithful to follow the example of Argentina’s saints and blessed who, “in their love for Jesus, gave their lives for the Gospel.”

The Pope’s homily during Mass on the feast of his namesake, Pope St. Leo the Great, dwelt especially on those holy men and women who flourished in and around Córdoba, in the geographic center of the country.

He remembered Fr. Brochero and Mama Antula, “who were called by the Lord and sent forth on mission,” and reminded the faithful that “all Christians are but simple servants… called to nothing more than to fulfill our duty.”

Holiness is missionary by nature

Our duty, he said, is a joyful mission, connected to the universal call to holiness—a call that is “inherently missionary.” Remembering the saint of the day, he emphasized the Scriptural call to “teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” and cited Saint Leo’s call to Christians to “recognize your dignity for you share in the divine nature, and you should not wish to return to your former baseness through a depraved life.”

The Holy Father went on to emphasize the importance of Christian witness as the best means of teaching, saying this demands “total, unwavering adherence to Jesus Christ,” following the witness of the saints.

Read also

10/11/2026

Treasure of Latin American Church: Saints, Blesseds recalled by Pope in Argentina

Saints with an 'Argentine accent'

The saints and blessed, he continued, are “characterized by the distinct charisms and missions they receive,” thus offering “a polyphonic expression of the universal call to holiness.”

“In the faces of these saints with an ‘Argentine accent’” – such as José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero and María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa – “one sees a striking unity: a passion for the Gospel combined with a commitment to building a nation rooted in fraternity and solidarity,” Pope Leo said.

The holy martyrs, clergy and religious, and lay saints and blessed of Argentina “have already fulfilled their mission on earth,” the Pope said, adding, “Today, it falls to us to follow the luminous path of holiness they have left behind.”

'Go forth and evangelize'

He called on the faithful to “Open your hearts and by the grace of God, go forth ad be saints… Go forth and evangelize!”

Pope Leo concluded his homily by pointing to the image of the “poor Christ” presiding over the celebration, inviting the faithful to allow themselves “to be challenged by His gaze.”

“In the shadow of His cross,” the Pope said, “we shall find salvation and life—the path toward our own sanctification.”

Saint of the Day for Tuesday

 

St. Leo the Great

Saint Leo the Great, also known as Pope Saint Leo I, was born into a Roman aristocratic family. His response to the call of the Lord transformed him into one of the greatest popes of Christian history. In fact, he was the first pope to be given the title "the Great." Details pertaining to Leo's place of birth are not known, but it is believed his ancestors come from Tuscany.

St. Leo the Great became a very well-known deacon of the Church by 431, serving the church under the pontificate of Pope Celestine I. Leo was widely respected for his love for the Lord, intelligence and persuasive nature. He was also gifted in bringing reconciliation between disputing groups of Christians.

That is why he was often sent out to settle disputes, both secular and theological. Following the pontificate of Pope Celestine, the next Pope was Pope Sixtus III.

Pope Sixtus III passed away while Leo was visiting Gaul at the request of Emperor Valentinian III. His task was to bring peace between one of Gaul's chief military commanders and the chief magistrate. Leo was then unanimously elected as the next pope to succeed Pope Sixtus III in 440. His swift election reflected the respect he had garnered among the people from his service to the Lord and the affection the faithful had this pastoral and wise servant of the Lord.

Pope Leo was deeply dedicated to his service as pope. He saw himself as privileged to sit in the Chair of St Peter, as the servant of the servants of God. He worked diligently as "Peter's successor." Over time, Leo became known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church. But, he was so much more.

During his reign, he tirelessly fought to preserve the unity of the Church and its faith; and to ensure the safety of his people against invasions from armies which sought to destroy the Church and the Christian influence on culture which she brought to bear.

Pope Leo I focused his pontificate on four main areas. He continuously worked to oppose and root out numerous heresies which were threatening the Western Church. Among them were Pelagianism, which involved denying Original Sin and failing to understand the necessity of God's grace for salvation.

At the foundation of the Pelagian error was the mistaken notion that we can perfect ourselves without God's grace and assistance.

The other major heresy threatening the Church was Manichaeism.

This heresy denied the goodness of the human body, creation, and even matter itself. It failed to understand the full implications of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. In fact, it denigrated the human body. In short, it viewed everything material as evil. That denies the very teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. It also rejects the very heart of the Gospel message.

Pope Leo I was a great defender of the orthodox teaching of the Catholic Christian Church and protected the full deposit of faith. The whole Church is still indebted to him for this.

During this same period, some Eastern Christians began questioning the teaching of the Church concerning the relationship between Jesus' humanity and his divinity, and how to articulate this mystery of the Christian faith.

In response, Leo resolved the doctrinal controversy with a letter setting down the Church's official teaching on Jesus Christ as One Person with a human and a divine nature which could not be separated. This profound and theologically astute letter reconciled the disputing parties. It preserved the core teaching concerning Jesus Christ. Finally, it affirmed the fullness of what occurred in the Incarnation, as well as its implications for all men and women who are baptized into Jesus Christ.

To this day, Leo's letter is heralded and praised, not only for bringing peace, but for preserving the fullness of Christian truth and doctrine. It helped the whole Church enter more fully into the heart of the Gospel message of who Jesus is - and who we can become in Him, as we cooperate with grace.

Along with his dynamic faith and outstanding theological wisdom, Pope Leo I was also courageous. He led Rome's defense against Attila the Hun's barbarian invasion on Italy in 452, by taking on the role of peacemaker.

Pope St Leo focused heavily on the pastoral care of his people. He inspired and helped to foster charitable work in areas of Rome affected heavily by famine, refugees and poverty. To him, being a Christian was not only about embracing the fullness of the Gospel theologically but living it out in a world filled with hurt, suffering and needs.

Pope Leo I was renowned for his profoundly spiritual sermons. With his words, Leo could reach the everyday needs and interests of his people. It was his reputation as an "instrument of the call to holiness, well-versed in Scripture and ecclesiastical awareness" that helped him become one of the greatest popes in the history of the Church.

Leo died on November 10, 461. He wished to be buried as close as possible to St. Peter's tomb. His body was first laid in the entrance of St. Peter's basilica but was later moved inside the basilica in 688.

Pope Leo I's papacy has been described as one of the most important in the Church's history. Nearly 100 sermons and 150 letters of Leo I have been preserved; one of them is still, to this day, used in the Office of Readings on Christmas.

In 1754, Pope Benedict XIV proclaimed Leo I a Doctor of the Church. Pope Leo I faithfully and unequivocally held to the belief that everything he did and said as pope represented Jesus Christ, and St. Peter. He discharged his office, and vocation, with dynamic faith, great pastoral care and excellence. His feast day is celebrated on November 10.

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Bishops of Argentina and praying Vespers

 

Pope Leo XIV prays Vespers with the Bishops and synodal teams of Argentina (VATICAN MEDIA)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Argentina
• Latin America
• apostolic journey
• Pope Francis
• bishops
• synod

Pope to Argentina’s Bishops: ‘Rejoice in whatever promotes people’s lives’

Pope Leo XIV prays Vespers with the Bishops and synodal teams of Argentina and encourages Church leaders to thank God for everything that promotes the life of their people and to help them proclaim the Gospel.

By Devin Watkins

At the end of his second day in Argentina, Pope Leo XIV prayed Vespers with the country’s Bishops and synodal teams at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Buenos Aires.

In his address, the Pope recalled the nation’s varied realities and beauty, noting that the Gospel has taken root in diverse peoples and cultures.

Amid geographic diversity, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s maternal presence accompanies all Argentinians in their journey of faith, he said, pointing to her many titles: the Most Holy Virgin of the Miracle, Our Lady of the Valley, the Virgin of the Rosary, Mary of Itatí and Our Lady of Luján.

“In every corner of this Marian land, from the largest cities to the smallest villages, there are brothers and sisters waiting to hear the Good News of the Gospel,” said the Pope, recalling the motto of his journey: “Everyone is welcome. Go and proclaim!”

As his encounter with Bishops took place on the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran, the Pope said the feast invites Catholics to contemplate the “mystery of the Church, built on Christ, the cornerstone, in which all of us, as living stones, are called to form a spiritual dwelling place.”

He recalled that the late Pope Francis occupied the See of Buenos Aires before he was elected Pope.

Bishops, added Pope Leo, bear the duty to “preserve unity in faith and charity,” in communion with the Successor of Peter.

“I would like to highlight the witness of distinguished Argentine bishops who knew how to work for unity and peace, such as Blesseds Mamerto Esquiú, Enrique Angelelli, and Eduardo Pironio,” he said.

“The saints continue to form saints,” added Pope Leo.

Reconciliation forms another task entrusted to the Church, which he said requires us to acknowledged wounds, let go of resentment, and allow God’s grace to transform our relationships.

Pope Leo XIV then urged the Bishops of Argentina to promote the formation of pastoral workers who can spread the Gospel through charitable works and catechesis, always keeping Christ at the center of all pastoral work.

“We must work together to foster priestly and religious vocations, to accompany families and to care for those living in poverty, who are unemployed or who lack decent housing,” he said.

The Pope said the Church bears a maternal gaze upon all elements of society, discerning human realities in the light of the Gospel, including marginalized communities and people forced to emigrate.

“I encourage you to support initiatives that benefit the people entrusted to your pastoral care,” he said. “Rejoice in whatever promotes the life of your people: honest work, care for those most in need, and institutions that responsibly serve the common good.”

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV invited Argentina’s Bishops to find strength and wisdom in the Holy Spirit and motherly concern in the Virgin Mary, so that they may learn to be attentive to God’s will.

“May He enlighten and strengthen you to translate into concrete decisions respect for the dignity of every person, the commitment to the universal destination of goods, the preferential option for the poor, and care for creation.”

Monday morning Mass with the Pope in Buenos Aires

 

Pope Leo celebrates Mass at the “Monumento de los Españoles” in Buenos Aires (VATICAN MEDIA)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Argentina
• apostolic journey
• mass
• homily
• liturgical year
• family

Pope at Mass: Christian family remains a pillar amid insecurity

At Mass in Buenos Aires for the Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran, Pope Leo XIV focuses on the Biblical image of the temple as a sign of unity and communion and highlights the Christian family as a source of genuine renewal.

By Christopher Wells

“The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica… brings us to the heart of what it means to be the Church,” Pope Leo XIV said during Mass in Buenos Aires on Monday.

As the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, he explained, the Basilica of St John Lateran “is a sign of unity and communion for all the Churches throughout the world.”

Restoring the Temple as a house of prayer

Turning to the day’s readings, the Holy Father focused on the image of the temple, starting with the Gospel account of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem. “In doing so,” the Pope said, Jesus “seeks to restore the Father’s house to its true purpose.” Rather than trying to “bargain” with God, Jesus shows that God the Father is “always ready to give us every good thing.” In this way, he continued, “the temple, the dwelling place of His presence, becomes once again a house of prayer for all His children.”

The Pope went on to reflect on the first reading, which shows water flowing from the Temple to give life to all it reaches; and on the Psalm, whose images of the earth shaking and the mountains trembling “reflect the fragility and chaos that we so often encounter in human experience.”

“Amid all these hardships and crises,” Pope Leo said, “God’s word shines out as a source of hope: God is in our midst; we need not be afraid.”

The family, a seed of renewal

Then, recalling that Christ “has already made room for us in His heart” through His resurrection, the Holy Father called on the faithful to “Welcome this grace into your families!” With and through Jesus, he said, “every family can become a seed of genuine renewal for this country.”

He invited his listeners to “Open the doors of your homes to Christ,” through family prayer, mutual forgiveness and listening, grandparents teaching their grandchildren to pray, and other simple gestures. “Indeed,” he said, “the family is a privileged place for coming to know and encounter Christ.”

‘The Church in Argentina needs you!’

Finally, Pope Leo encouraged families “to take a leading role in evangelization.” “The Church in Argentina needs you!” he said, adding, “This Church is renewed and filled with enthusiasm when families, animated by faith, pray together and live out their ministry of proclaiming the Good News.”

Entrusting families to Mary and Joseph, Pope Leo concluded his homily with the prayer that Jesus might “bless us, so that our homes, too, might become temples of His presence.”

Monday brings the feast day of a Basilica in Rome

 

Ordinary Time: November 9th

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the oldest and highest ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, not St. Peter's Basilica as so many mistakenly believe. The Basilica is also called the Church of Holy Savior or the Church of St. John Baptist. In ancient Rome this was the church where everyone was baptized. It the oldest church in the West, built in the time of Constantine and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324. This feast became a universal celebration in honor of the archbasilica, the ecclesiastical mother church, called "the mother and mistress of all churches of Rome and the world" (omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput), as a sign of love for and union with the See of Peter.

---

The Temple of Stones is a Symbol of the Living Church
Today the liturgy celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, called “mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world.” In fact, this basilica was the first to be built after Emperor Constantine’s edict, in 313, granted Christians freedom to practice their religion.

The emperor himself gave Pope Miltiades the ancient palace of the Laterani family, and the basilica, the baptistery, and the patriarchate, that is, the Bishop of Rome’s residence — where the Popes lived until the Avignon period — were all built there. The basilica’s dedication was celebrated by Pope Sylvester around 324 and was named Most Holy Savior; only after the 6th century were the names of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist added, and now is typically denominated by these latter.

Initially the observance of this feast was confined to the city of Rome; then, beginning in 1565, it was extended to all the Churches of the Roman rite. The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch says, “presides in charity” over the whole Catholic communion (Letter to the Romans, 1:1).

On this solemnity the Word of God recalls an essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a “spiritual edifice,” built by God with “living stones,” namely, Christians themselves, upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called the “cornerstone” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Ephesians 2:20-22). “Brothers, you are God’s building,” St. Paul wrote, and added: “holy is God’s temple, which you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17).

The beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws us human beings, limited and sinful, to convert to form a “cosmos,” a well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint of saints. This happens in a culminating way in the Eucharistic liturgy, in which the “ecclesia,” that is, the community of the baptized, come together in a unified way to listen to the Word of God and nourish themselves with the Body and Blood of Christ. From these two tables the Church of living stones is built up in truth and charity and is internally formed by the Holy Spirit transforming herself into what she receives, conforming herself more and more to the Lord Jesus Christ. She herself, if she lives in sincere and fraternal unity, in this way becomes the spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God.

Dear friends, today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temple of his love.
—Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, November 9, 2008

First stop for Pope Leo in Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Argentina
• apostolic journey

Pope Leo XIV visits San Martín monument in Buenos Aires

Upon arriving in Argentina, Pope Leo XIV makes a stop at the San Martín monument in Buenos Aires.

Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV’s first event on his Apostolic Journey to Argentina was a brief stop in Buenos Aires at the Monument to General José de San Martín and the Armies of Independence.

He paused for a moment of silent reflection at the monument after two members of the military laid a wreath.

The ceremony followed the playing of the national anthems.

The Grand Chancellor welcomed the Pope and accompanied him past an honor guard and the delegations gathered in Plaza San Martín, in the Argentine capital’s Retiro neighborhood.

The bronze equestrian monument honors José de San Martín, known as the Liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

In 1807, during the second British invasion of the Río de la Plata, local militias defeated a British expeditionary force led by John Whitelocke in the area.

Five years later, the barracks of the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers were established on the site at San Martín’s direction.

The city began redesigning the square in 1883, and architect Charles Thays later gave it its present form.

Toward the end of the 19th century, prominent Buenos Aires families chose the area for new residences, including the San Martín, Haedo, and Paz palaces.

The square was named in his honor in 1878, on the centenary of his birth.