Pope Leo XIV visits Argentina in second leg of Latin American tour

Never before had he held mass in front of such a large crowd. According to the Vatican, around 2.5 million people gathered in Buenos Aires to see Pope Leo during a huge outdoor mass. Among the faithful, some had travelled more than 1,000 kilometres and camped overnight to see the pontiff. Many in the crowd were overcome with emotion. Y fue una emoción grandísima. For me it was an overwhelming emotion to be able to come here and share this moment with the Pope. It was the greatest thing that has happened to me recently. I don't know. I'm speechless. I have no words. It's something beautiful. In his sermon, Leo expressed happiness at seeing Catholics in a region that has historically been a stronghold of the Church, but which has been losing influence to rapidly growing evangelical denominations. Leo also hailed communities that champion the inclusion of people, often pushed to society's margins. Regions. In this land, a meeting place of different cultures and ethnic groups, the family has been a setting where faith, human virtues and the culture of work are handed down. The culture of work. Less than a month after undergoing lung surgery, Leo has embarked on a 12-day tour of South America. After visiting Uruguay and Argentina, he will now travel to Peru, a country where he has spent much of his life and that granted him citizenship in 2015.