The advanced mission organized by the Vatican ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit started this week with the inspection of the places the pontiff could visit during his stay in Argentina in November. The delegation, led by Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas Castañeda, coordinator of the Apostolic Travels, is touring Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Luján to verify which locations meet the requirements demanded by a papal visit.
Read more The family of Selena Quintanilla, amid a legal dispute months after the patriarch’s death
The trip is part of a broader tour of South America that will take place from November 6 to 17, including Uruguay (Montevideo, Paysandú, and Florida, from the 6th to the 8th) and Peru (Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco, and Pucallpa, from the 11th to the 17th).
When will Leo XIV visit Argentina?
Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina will take place from November 8 to 11. The expectation is enormous because it will be the first visit by a pontiff in almost four decades, since John Paul II’s arrival in 1987. The first planned activity is the reception by President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada, in an important political meeting prior to the start of the pastoral segment.
Buenos Aires: the venues to receive the Pope
One of the central events of the Pope’s visit will be a massive mass in the Argentine capital. According to the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Ignacio Cuerva, the proposed place to celebrate it is at the foot of the monument to the Spaniards, located in Palermo. The head of the Buenos Aires government, Jorge Macri, estimates that up to 800,000 people could attend.
Another probable venue is the Argentine Catholic University (UCA), in Puerto Madero, where the pontiff is expected to meet with businessmen, workers, and unionists. Also under consideration is a possible visit to the Devoto prison — the only one operating within the Argentine capital — and to the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, in the Buenos Aires locality of Claypole, which houses vulnerable people with severe disabilities.
Leo XIV will also have a meeting with young people, but it is yet to be decided whether it will be at the River Plate monumental stadium, on 9 de Julio Avenue, or if the venue at the Monument to the Spaniards will be repeated. The last two options are more likely since the archbishop has indicated that they will prioritize open spaces without strict capacity limits.
Córdoba and Luján: the other stops of the trip
On November 10, the Pope will be in Córdoba, the second most populous city in Argentina. The Vatican mission inspected the grounds of the Argentine Aircraft Factory (FAdeA) as a possible place for a second mass in the country. If that is the venue, it would carry strong symbolic weight: it is the same place John Paul II chose during his visit in 1987.
On the last day in Argentina, November 11, the pontiff is scheduled to travel to Luján. There, another religious ceremony will be held, which will be another highlight of his visit to the country due to the importance of the sanctuary and the number of pilgrims it could attract.
The final itinerary of the trip is in the hands of the Holy See and will be announced once the advance team sends its conclusions to Rome.
Who coordinates the organization of the trip
The general coordination of Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina is in charge of the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, with Mara Gorini leading the organization of public events. Meanwhile, Pablo Quirno is responsible for the diplomatic channel with the Vatican.
The Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA) has formed a commission headed by its president, Monsignor Marcelo Colombo, and including Monsignor Raúl Pizarro, also the general coordinator of the visit.
The CEA has formed a coordinating team to handle specific areas such as communication, logistics and infrastructure, volunteers, events and liturgy, content, and resources, together with teams in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Luján.
Read more The Generalitat fines the company of the worker who started the fire in Les Gavarres 300,000 euros
