Two million faithful greet Pope in Buenos Aires

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BUENOS AIRES — Buenos Aires officials said two million worshippers had turned out Monday for a vast public Mass by Pope Leo XIV, with pilgrims travelling from across Argentina and camping overnight to get a glimpse of the pontiff.

The gathering is tipped to be among the largest of Leo's 12-day Latin American tour. Crowds chanted "Ole, ole, ole, Leon, Leon" and waved yellow-and-white Vatican flags as they waited.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates mass at the Monument of the Spanish in the Palermo neighborhood in Buenos Aires on November 9, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

Some faithful travelled more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) to attend, while others kept vigil through the night along the capital's broad avenues.

Giant screens carried images of the pope's journey through the city as folk musicians performed and pilgrims sheltered from the spring sun under umbrellas.

"It's going to be unforgettable. It's going to be one of a kind," said health worker Marta Calderon, who camped out overnight to see Leo on the second leg of his Latin American tour.

Earlier, the Chicago-born pope visited the Pequeno Cottolengo, a home for abandoned people with disabilities in the Buenos Aires suburb of Claypole.

Addressing residents, staff and volunteers, Leo said disabled people were "not a burden on society" but "a blessing."

"A nation's progress is also measured by how it welcomes all people with disabilities and particular needs," he said.

His remarks touched on a sensitive issue in Argentina, where disability organisations and Church leaders have voiced concern over measures affecting assistance programs under President Javier Milei's austerity drive.

Faithful react while watching Pope Leo XIV's visit to the Pequeno Cottolengo Don Orione residential care home on a giant screen in Claypole, Buenos Aires province, on November 9, 2026. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

Founded by an Italian saint, Cottolengo is one of Argentina's best-known Catholic charitable institutions.

The Vatican describes the sprawling 50-hectare (124-acre) complex as a "city of charity."

The stop formed part of Leo's first trip to Latin America as pope, a tour taking him to Uruguay, Argentina and then Peru, where the Chicago-born pontiff spent years as a missionary and bishop before his election.

In his speech, Leo praised communities that uphold the dignity and inclusion of people often pushed to society's margins.

"Places like this have much to say to our societies, which are often driven solely by the pursuit of economic success or the cult of outward appearance," he said.

The visit also followed comments by Leo a day earlier that appeared to challenge Milei's economic policies.

Speaking after arriving in Argentina on Sunday, the pope said the economy should serve people rather than the reverse and called for special concern for those affected by "illness, dependency and disability."

Aerial view as people wait at Palermo neigborhood for the Pope Leo XIV passing on his way to celebrate a mass at the Monument of the Spanish in Buenos Aires on November 9, 2026. (Photo by Rudy QUIROZ / AFP)

Leo also expressed hope that Argentina would remain a country where "the love of Christ triumphs over individualism and exclusion," and urged young people to embrace what he called the country's tradition of charity.

Across Buenos Aires, enthusiasm for the first papal visit to Argentina in decades was evident in souvenir stalls selling T-shirts, caps and flags bearing Leo's image.

His likeness has even appeared on alfajores pastries and jars of dulce de leche as Argentines celebrate the landmark visit.