Pope León XIV draws millions to Mass in Buenos Aires

Crowds began moving towards the parks and avenues of Buenos Aires's Palermo neighbourhood at dawn on November 9, according to RTBF. Their destination was the outdoor Mass celebrated by Pope León XIV at the Monumento de los Españoles.

It was the second day of his Argentina visit and the first large-scale Mass planned for the trip, El Cronista reported. The gathering became the largest of his papacy, according to El Colombiano.

At the November 9 Mass, León XIV defended the continuing importance of the Christian family, El Colombiano reported. ARD Tagesschau also described his appeal to protect vulnerable people.

The occasion carried an emotional connection to Pope Francisco. León XIV became emotional while recalling him during the Mass, according to CNN Brasil, which reported that Francisco had died earlier in the year.

The visit also brought a message for President Javier Milei. DIE ZEIT described the pope's insistence that the economy should serve people as an indirect criticism of Milei's policies. Separately, Euronews reported that he visited Cottolengo Don Orione, which cares for more than 400 people and has been affected by government cuts.

After the Mass, León XIV met business and labour leaders at the UCA, according to Infobae. At a Buenos Aires meeting with employers, trade unionists, workers and representatives of popular movements, he condemned unemployment and said depriving people of work wounds their dignity, ABC reported.

The reports agree on the exceptional scale of the Mass but differ on the crowd estimate. RTBF reported two million attendees, El Colombiano put the number above two million, and Deutsche Welle gave an estimated 2.5 million.

The day's programme extended beyond the public gathering. RT en Español reported that León XIV received five victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy and church institutions in Argentina on November 9. Perfil.com also reported that he was leading vespers with Argentine bishops and synodal teams at Buenos Aires's Metropolitan Cathedral.

The next scheduled stop is Córdoba on Tuesday, November 10. La Nacion reported that León XIV would arrive in the province and travel through the city in a procession, shifting the visit beyond Buenos Aires.