First Papal Visit in Nearly 40 Years
Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Argentina on Sunday, November 8, and stay until Wednesday, November 11, as part of a South American tour that also includes Uruguay and Peru. This will be the first papal visit to the country since John Paul II in 1987, a milestone generating enormous excitement among Catholics and the broader society.
According to official and ecclesiastical sources, the Argentine stops will be Buenos Aires, Luján, and Córdoba. The Vatican has not yet published the final itinerary, but the government and the Church are already working on the organization.
The Three Confirmed Venues
- Basilica of Luján: Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva confirmed plans for a Mass with both covered and open-air areas, with an estimated capacity of millions of people.
- Material Area Córdoba: The same site where John Paul II celebrated Mass in 1987, a place of deep symbolic value for the Argentine Church.
- Monument of the Spaniards: Located at the intersection of Del Libertador and Sarmiento avenues in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where a massive open-air Mass is planned.
Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge García Cuerva confirmed that the Pope will stay at the Apostolic Nunciature (the Holy See's embassy in Argentina) and hinted that he might use the popemobile on some parts of his route, though no details have been given yet.
Holiday or Day Off?
The national government is considering declaring a day off during the papal visit to facilitate the participation of the faithful. This possibility was discussed in the first coordination meeting between national authorities and Church representatives, held this week at the Casa Rosada (the presidential palace).
According to García Cuerva, the executive is analyzing whether to establish a holiday or a day off to ensure the mobilization of people interested in attending the celebrations. However, no official confirmation exists regarding the date or scope of the measure: it is not yet defined whether it will apply only to the public administration or have broader effects on work and education.
Unprecedented Security Operation
Minister Monteoliva detailed that the security operation will be joint between federal forces, the City of Buenos Aires, the province of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and all provinces. Unified commands will be created, and controls will be reinforced on roads and strategic points.
“We have been active for a while because we had an advance team from the Vatican security in late June. We did a first tour of possible locations,” Monteoliva revealed. The minister said she is “about to issue two resolutions for the formation of unified commands.”
The organization of the visit is led by Karina Milei, Secretary General of the Presidency, who chaired an inter-ministerial meeting with national cabinet officials and the City Government. Participants included Apostolic Nuncio Michael Wallace Banach and priests Matías Taricco and Máximo Jurcinovic, members of the National Commission for the Preparation of the Visit.
The South American Tour
Before arriving in Argentina, Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay from November 6 to 8, with activities in Montevideo, Paysandú, and Florida. After his stay in Argentina, he will continue to Peru, with planned visits to Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco, and Pucallpa.
The full itinerary will be announced in mid-September, according to García Cuerva. Meanwhile, dioceses, parishes, and movements across the country have already begun organizing trips and contingents, though they do not yet know which day the Pope will be in each place.
“The question is no longer whether Leo XIV is coming. The question that thousands of Argentines need someone to answer is when, where, and how they will be able to meet him,” summarized analyst Guillermo Marcó in a column published by Infobae.