About 2.5 million faithful attended the Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV at the Monument to the Spaniards in Buenos Aires during his visit to South America. According to authorities and reported figures, it was the largest Mass he has celebrated since his election as head of the Catholic Church.
In his homily, the Holy Father urged families not to lose hope in the face of economic and social difficulties. He cited instability, social problems, job insecurity, domestic violence, painful separations and addictions as challenges that damage relationships among family members.
Të lidhura
None found
Even when facing these trials, the Pope said, the faithful must not give up. He described Christ as the rock on which the home rests and which protects it from storms.
Pope Leo XIV also rejected the idea that the Christian family is an outdated model. He said it remains, today more than ever, a strong source of support amid the uncertainties of the times.
Referring to Argentina, he praised the role the family has played in shaping the country’s history, culture and society. It is from the family, he said, that the Argentine people’s fundamental values have sprung.
Faith, human virtues, a culture of work, respect for the elderly, the protection of life and keeping one’s word are, according to the Pope, values passed down within the family.
Leo XIV also addressed the spiritual education of younger generations, emphasizing that faith is not passed on through words alone. He mentioned saying a blessing before meals, praying before bed, forgiving and listening to one another, grandparents teaching children to pray, Sunday Mass, and preparing for a spiritual retreat or pilgrimage.
He described the family as a privileged place to come to know and encounter Christ. He said it also has an important educational mission through which the Gospel is passed on and spread.
In closing, the Pope recalled his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had been bishop of Buenos Aires. He cited Francis’s teaching that the family is called to share daily prayer, reading the Word of God and Eucharistic communion, so that love may grow and the family may increasingly become a temple where the Spirit dwells.
At the end of his homily, Pope Leo XIV entrusted Argentine families to the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Luján, and Saint Joseph. He prayed that every home would become a temple of God’s presence.
