Pope Leo says age, ill health cannot 'extinguish' his zeal

Pope Leo XIV vowed not to let illness or old age affect his zeal Tuesday, urging Argentines to "go forth and be saints" and warning the young not to obsess over looks, money or popularity.

The 71-year-old leader of the Catholic Church is on an ambitious 12-day Latin America tour less than a month after he underwent surgery for lung cancer.

"Neither age nor physical limitations can extinguish our zeal," the Pope said in a rousing speech to Catholic clergy in the central city of Córdoba.

"Our strength may run out, but God's power never will!" he said.

The US-born Pope had refused to reschedule the trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, despite having the lower part of his right lung removed to extract a cancerous tumour. 

With apparently boundless energy, he returned to Buenos Aires on Tuesday for a candlelit youth vigil that drew 1.3 million people and featured a show with tango dancers and Argentine singers.

During a speech, Leo warned against being obsessed with looks or lying on social media to win popularity or approval from others.

"Idols arise and demand our worship: success at any cost, money, an obsession with appearance, popularity or the unrestrained pursuit of pleasure," he said.

They must "stand firm" in the face of pleasures "that ultimately enslave us, such as pornography" and drugs, he said.

The message hit home with a crowd that has largely grown up with social media.

José Morando, a 19-year-old architecture student, told AFP that there was a "great deal of obsession" with image, with people "criticised for their bodies."

'Make noise!'

The South America trip is being seen as a double homecoming of sorts – taking Leo back to Peru, where he spent almost two decades as a missionary, and bringing him to Argentina, birthplace of his predecessor Francis.

Leo has repeatedly evoked Francis, who disappointed many by never returning home while pontiff.

In a speech to the clergy in Córdoba Tuesday, Leo said Argentine priests could honour their compatriot by continuing to "make noise" and creating vibrant communities of faith, as the number of Catholics wanes in Argentina.

Some 56 percent of Argentine adults identify as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center, down from 71 percent just over a decade ago.

At an earlier Mass on the esplanade of a military aircraft factory in the city, which drew 650,000 pilgrims, the Pope called on the country's citizens to follow the example of a litany of Argentine saints.

Throughout his three days in Argentina, the pontiff has frequently challenged the country's rightist leader Javier Milei to make the economy more inclusive and stop funding cuts that hurt the poor, elderly and those with disabilities.

In Argentina's saints, Leo said, there is "a unity between passion for the Gospel and commitment to building a fraternal and caring nation."

The call extends to daily life, he said, "at school and in the square, in the family and with friends, in the countryside and in the city, at the dairy farm and in the office. Go forth and evangelise!"

'No social justice'

Giant screens had broadcast images of the Pope's arrival in Córdoba, sparking cheers from the crowd as his plane touched down.

Many people filmed the screens on their mobile phones while others sang the national anthem.

The gathering reflected the broad appeal Leo has enjoyed in Argentina, extending beyond regular churchgoers.

Like many young Argentines, Joaquín Assad, 24, said he was drawn by the pope's recent comments about artificial intelligence.

"I've brought personal problems to ChatGPT," Assad said with a sheepish smile.

Others said they were encouraged by the Pope's criticism of an economic model they believe has left many Argentines behind.

Laura Sosa, 49, who works on maintenance of Hercules aircraft at the state-owned aviation company Fadea, said workers there had endured delayed wage payments and periods of reduced activity.

"There are a lot of people on the streets and people eating out of the garbage because their subsidies were taken away," she said, describing what she sees as rising poverty in Córdoba.

Pensioner Carlos Rubio said he hoped Leo would continue speaking out on social issues.

"There is no social justice," Rubio said. "I hope the pope's message on that is clear for our president."

On Wednesday, Leo will visit a prison in Buenos Aires and hold a final mass before heading to Peru for the final leg of his South America trip.

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by Clare Byrne, Ella Ide & Martín Rashinsky, AFP

) During a speech, Leo warned against being obsessed with looks or lying on social media to win popularity or approval from others.