Pope Leo draws 3-million-strong crowd at Argentina’s holiest shrine
Pope Leo drew vast crowds to Argentina’s holiest shrine on Wednesday, the final day of his visit before he departs for Peru, where he spent nearly two decades as a missionary. Authorities said over 3 million people packed the streets around the Basilica of Lujan, with some climbing fences, barriers, trees and lamp posts for a glimpse of the pontiff. Crowds chanted “thank you Leo!” to the…
On Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV drew crowds of over 3 million people to the Basilica of Luján, Argentina's holiest shrine. This gathering marked the final day of his visit to the country and was the largest crowd he drew during his trip. People gathered around the Basilica, with some climbing lamp posts, trees, fences, and barriers to see the 71-year-old pontiff. As he addressed the crowd, the Pope said, "Thank you, Argentina, for welcoming me with open arms."
The visit, which spanned four days, was the first by a pope to Argentina in 39 years. During his stay, the Pope offered a message of hope and an appeal for unity and reconciliation. Following the stop at Luján, the Pope departed for the second leg of a 12-day tour in Peru, a country where he served as a missionary for nearly two decades. This tour follows surgery for lung cancer that the Pope underwent less than a month ago.
At Ezeiza airport, President Javier Milei was reportedly moved to tears during the Pope's farewell, according to MercoPress.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post, MercoPress, The Korea Times, Sky News, RTE News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
