Pope Leo celebrates Mass before estimated 2.5 million people in Buenos Aires

More than 2.5 million people attended a Mass in Buenos Aires on Monday, the largest gathering of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate, on a day when the pontiff also met victims of abuse by members of the clergy.

Addressing the vast crowd gathered around the Monumento a los Españoles in the City neighbourhood of Palermo, at the first major public event of his Argentine leg of a Latin American tour, the 71-year-old pontiff defended the enduring importance of Christian faith as "a pillar."

Chanting "Olé, olé, León, León" and waving Argentine and Vatican flags, worshippers lined a more than two-kilometre stretch of the broad Avenida del Libertador as Leo passed through in his popemobile.

In his homily, the energetic pontiff, who underwent surgery for lung cancer just three weeks ago, said the Christian family "today more than ever represents a pillar amid the many uncertainties of our time."

He became emotional as he referred to his predecessor, "our beloved" Pope Francis, and urged parents to pass on their faith to their children "through the simplest gestures."

The Mass concluded with a huge communion ceremony at mobile stations, where even laypeople distributed tens of thousands of communion wafers to worshippers.

Marta Lima, a 63-year-old retired teacher, welcomed the Pope's call to "strengthen family ties," saying: "That is precisely what we are missing and, when it is absent, it is the beginning of all forms of violence."

The Vatican estimated that more than 2.5 million people had attended the Mass.

Thousands had queued since the early hours of the morning to be among the first to enter and secure a place near the barriers, about 100 metres from the stage. Most had to follow the homily on one of the 33 giant screens set up by organisers.

Abuse and labour

In mid-afternoon, the Pope held a one-hour meeting with five victims of abuse committed by members of the clergy or in institutions run by the Catholic Church in Argentina.

"The Pope spoke with each of them individually, listening to their accounts and the painful experiences they had endured," the Holy See said in a statement, adding that the pontiff had pledged to strengthen safeguarding measures within the Catholic Church.

Later, Leo XIV met trade unionists and representatives of social movements at the Argentine Catholic University in Buenos Aires.

"Trade unions are an indispensable institution when they defend those who have no voice and resist the commodification of labour," Leo told them.

Trade unions have been among the most vocal opponents of President Javier Milei, calling four general strikes since he took office in December 2023 and criticising the impact of his policies on the labour market.

Unemployment reached 7.9 percent of the economically active population in the second quarter of this year, its highest level since 2021, while informal employment now accounts for 45 percent of workers.

Disability

The pontiff began Monday's programme at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a charitable home for people with disabilities on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where he warned that a country's standing should be judged by how it includes its most vulnerable citizens.

The institution houses 410 adults with disabilities, the vast majority of whom receive no visits from family members or friends.

"A nation's progress is also measured by the welcome it knows how to extend to all people with disabilities and special needs," the pontiff said.

Milei has faced criticism over his tough fiscal austerity policies, which have affected people with disabilities.

Following negotiations involving the Catholic Church, the government and opposition agreed on a bill to guarantee funding for disability services. The lower house approved the measure in October, and it is still awaiting a Senate vote.

In his address, Leo XIV defended the dignity of people with disabilities.

"Your lives are not a burden on society; they are a blessing, because you can help us remember the foundation of every human being's dignity and what is truly important in life," he said.