Pope Leo XIV in Buenos Aires: families must lead the Church's renewal in Argentina

Pope Leo XIV in Buenos Aires: families must lead the Church's renewal in Argentina.

Pope Leo XIV used his first public Mass in Buenos Aires on Monday to place the Christian family at the center of the Church's mission in Argentina, telling the faithful that “The Church in Argentina needs you!”

The Mass marked the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Pope's own cathedral as Bishop of Rome. According to Vatican News, he described the basilica as “a sign of unity and communion” for churches around the world. ABC News said organizers expected the Mass to draw more than a million people.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem, saying Christ restores God's house as a place of prayer for everyone, not a place to bargain with God. Pointing to the day's Psalm, with its images of shaking earth and trembling mountains, he said the world's fragility and crises do not have the last word: God remains present, and believers need not be afraid.

He then turned to the home. With Christ, he said, “every family can become a seed of genuine renewal for this country.” He suggested practical steps: family prayer, forgiving one another, listening, and grandparents teaching grandchildren to pray.

Vatican News posted on X that the Pope also urged families not to give in to those who dismiss the Christian family as outdated. He closed by entrusting families to Mary and Joseph and praying that homes might become “temples of His presence.”

The Argentina stop is part of an apostolic journey through South America that began in Uruguay. Earlier in the visit he also spoke about economic hardship and care for the vulnerable.