RismadarVoice Reporters
November 10, 2026
Pope Leo XIV attracted an estimated 650,000 worshippers to an outdoor Mass in Córdoba, Argentina’s second-largest city, on Tuesday, marking another major gathering during his 12-day pastoral visit to South America.
Pilgrims travelled from different parts of Argentina to attend the celebration, which took place at a military airfield in the historic city.
The pontiff arrived in an open-air popemobile to enthusiastic cheers from worshippers waving the yellow-and-white Vatican flags.
The Mass followed Monday’s gathering in Buenos Aires, where an estimated 2.5 million people attended a papal celebration, making it the largest event of Leo’s pontificate so far.
During his homily in Córdoba, the Pope praised Argentina’s Catholic heritage and encouraged the faithful to draw inspiration from the lives of the country’s saints and religious witnesses.
He highlighted the example of Mama Antula, an 18th-century religious woman recognised as Argentina’s first female saint.
Leo also remembered a bishop, two priests and a layman killed during Argentina’s military dictatorship in 1976, acknowledging their witness to the Catholic faith.
The visit marks the first papal journey to Argentina since Pope John Paul II visited the country in 1987.
Córdoba, known for its longstanding Catholic traditions and historical association with the Jesuit order, was selected partly because of its central location, allowing pilgrims from neighbouring provinces to attend.
The Pope’s South American journey, which began in Uruguay and continues through Argentina before concluding in Peru on November 17, is intended to strengthen the Catholic Church’s relationship with communities across the region.
The visit comes amid changing religious demographics, with evangelical Christian denominations expanding their presence in countries historically associated with Catholicism.
Beyond religious celebrations, Leo has addressed social and economic concerns, urging political leaders to protect vulnerable populations.
During his visit to Argentina, he called attention to the welfare of poorer citizens amid debate over President Javier Milei’s economic austerity policies.
Córdoba’s Cardinal Ángel Sixto Rossi also welcomed the visit as an opportunity to highlight the difficulties facing vulnerable communities.
The Pope, who spent decades serving as a missionary in Peru before becoming pontiff, is expected to conclude his South American tour on November 17.
The Vatican has described the journey as a significant return to a region closely connected with his pastoral life.
