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Archive photo · 12 May 2025Pope Leo XIV Draws 2.5 Million to First Argentina Mass, Tells Disabled People ‘Blessing’
“the pontiff also met victims of abuse by members of the clergy.”
“The family, a seed of renewal”
Photo: Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Pope Leo XIV presided over outdoor Mass in Buenos Aires for about 2.5 million attendees. Pope told people with disabilities their lives are a blessing, not a burden.
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Mass draws millions
Pope Leo XIV drew an estimated 2.5 million people to his first Mass in Argentina at the Monumento a los Españoles in Buenos Aires, with the Vatican describing it as his biggest liturgical turnout to date. Pope Leo XIV began his visit by making a pilgrimage to the Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, south of Buenos Aires, where the institution houses more than 400 people with disabilities on its 123-acre (50-hectare) grounds. Pope Leo XIV told residents at the center that their lives were a blessing, not a burden, and he said, "A nation's progress is also measured by how it welcomes all people with disabilities and particular needs," during his remarks in the center’s chapel.
Pope Leo XIV’s Mass in Palermo came as Argentina’s Congress overrode President Javier Milei’s veto last year to pass a law increasing funding for disability care, while Milei’s administration resisted implementation. Pope Leo XIV’s homily also addressed families facing joblessness, violence and addictions, and he said, "Do not give in to those who dismiss the Christian family as outdated."
Disability care and austerity
Milei’s austerity measures hit Cottolengo Don Orione hard, and ABC News reported that Milei froze payments and dismantled a vital safety net. Fernando Montero, who oversees the home’s disability services, said the government paid Cottolengo Don Orione about 828 million pesos for medications, diapers and food, covering about four months at the home. Pope Leo XIV’s disability visit came as the Senate was due to consider legislation that would set aside money for disability benefits in next year’s budget, and Milei opposes the measure.
DW said Pope Leo reinforced an appeal to President Javier Milei to protect vulnerable Argentines, and it described the disability care home as struggling with the government’s cuts to health care and social services. DW also quoted Pope Leo saying, "A nation's progress is also measured by how it welcomes all people with disabilities and particular needs," as he visited the Cottolengo Don Orione care center in Claypole.
Crowd, continuity, and next
Crowds in Buenos Aires filled streets to welcome Pope Leo XIV and attend the historic Mass, and BBC said an estimated 2.5 million people filled the streets to welcome him and attend the Mass. Aleteia described the Mass as the largest celebration led by the American-Peruvian pontiff since the start of his pontificate, and it said the Mass was celebrated at the Monumento de los Españoles on November 9, 2026. Aleteia reported that Pope Leo XIV called Catholic households to become "leading actors in evangelization," and it quoted him saying, "the Argentine Church needs them."
Crónica said Pope Leo XIV evoked Pope Francis during his speech and that the crowd responded with a massive ovation when he mentioned Francis as bishop of that same city. DW said Pope Leo is due to travel to Peru on Wednesday and return to Rome on November 17, after visiting Uruguay before arriving in Argentina on Sunday.