Pope Leo XIV Calls for Reconciliation at Final Argentina Mass in Luján
At the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, Pope Leo XIV urged Argentines to confess faults, take Scripture as a guide, and go on mission, then left for Peru.
The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.
Pope Leo XIV ended his visit to Argentina on Wednesday with an outdoor Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, calling the country to reconciliation, to the word of God, to communion, and to mission, before departing for Peru.
A Vatican press bulletin said the pope presided at the Mass at 10 a.m. local time "in the presence more than two million faithful in the square and street in front of the Basilica, according to estimates by the local authorities." An Associated Press report published by the Los Angeles Times said the Vatican estimated that around 2 million people turned out.
In his official homily, the pope said he wanted to propose "a journey that is the same as the one we experience in the celebration of every Eucharist." He said it consists of "four steps: reconciliation, enlightenment through the word of God, communion, and being sent forth on mission."
On reconciliation, he said, according to the official text, "We are likewise called to receive God's grace and to undergo processes of forgiveness and reconciliation that renew peace, hope and charity within us." He added, "Let us be sincere, acknowledge our faults and ask the Lord for forgiveness." And he said, "We also need to reconcile ourselves with our past and present, in order to build a new future where love has the final word."
He then turned to Scripture. "We need a compass, a guide, and indeed we already have it in Sacred Scripture!" the pope said in the official homily. "Let us allow ourselves to be enlightened by it, for the word of God is a lamp for our steps and a light to our path."
On communion, he said, according to the official homily, "Christ himself invites us to his table, and at that table we are all welcome." He added, "There is a place for everyone, especially for those who are most in need: the poor and the hungry, migrants, the sick and prisoners, with whom the Lord identifies." Near the end of the homily he said, "Go and evangelize; proclaim the joy of the Gospel through words and good deeds. Argentina, rise up and walk!"
He entrusted the country to Our Lady of Luján, Argentina's patroness, noting that his pontificate began on May 8, her feast day. "Guide me, Mother, in the apostolic mission the Lord has entrusted to me, and guide and accompany the Argentine people on their journey," he said in the official text. "Help them to build bridges of charity and networks of solidarity." At the end of Mass he thanked the country: "Thank you, Argentina, for welcoming me with open arms!" And he said, "Farewell, beloved Argentina!"
Earlier Wednesday the pope visited a prison, Vatican News and the Associated Press reported, then celebrated the Mass at the national shrine. Vatican News said the papal plane left Buenos Aires at 2:38 p.m. local time and was expected to land in Lima around 5:30 p.m., beginning the final leg of a Nov. 6-17 journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. The same report said the pope will remain in Peru until Nov. 17 and will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco, and Pucallpa, describing the stop as a homecoming after decades of service there as a missionary and bishop.
The Luján Mass is a new event after the Córdoba Mass and Buenos Aires vigil a day earlier, which Dock Line reported in Pope Leo XIV Urges Argentines to Pursue Holiness and Reject Idols.
Opinion:
This was not a vague blessing over a crowd. The pope told a nation to confess real faults, to take Scripture as a guide, to receive the poor at Christ's table, and to go and evangelize. That is the old faith, spoken in public.
Reconciliation is not a slogan, and it is not the same thing as pretending that sin did not happen. The pope put forgiveness in its proper place: acknowledge the fault, ask the Lord for mercy, and then build a future in which love, not a grudge, has the last word. A country, like a person, cannot be healed by denial or by rage.
Americans should listen as well. An American-born pope is reminding the Church that unity is a gift and a duty, that the Bible is not optional decoration, and that mission comes after communion, not instead of it. Rise up and walk is a charge, not a mood. The honest response is repentance, prayer, and obedience, not applause that leaves the sins unconfessed.
