Pope Leo XIV spent his last day in Argentina on Wednesday with two very different congregations: a few dozen men inside a closing Buenos Aires prison, and a crowd the Vatican put at about 2 million people outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. By evening he was on a plane to Peru, the country he served for more than two decades and the emotional heart of his 12-day South American journey.
A morning with prisoners at Devoto
The day began at the federal prison complex in Villa Devoto, where Pope Francis often ministered as archbishop of Buenos Aires, celebrating Mass and washing inmates’ feet during Holy Week. Leo arrived with Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva and was greeted at the gate by Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva, according to EWTN News and the Buenos Aires Herald.
The prison, opened in 1927, is being shut down. The Buenos Aires Herald reported that about 1,400 inmates were moved to a facility in Marcos Paz over the past month, and the 74 men who remained were chosen to meet the pope. The Associated Press said those present were mostly men involved in the prison’s religious programs. Two current inmates and a former prisoner shared their stories.
Leo told the men that a new life is possible and that hope is what they need, the Herald reported. He said people “do not flourish in spite of their limitations, but often through them,” and urged them to see their time behind bars as a chance to start again and return to their families. According to the AP, he also spoke about drugs, easy money, violence and corruption. Photos from the visit showed one inmate wrapping the pope in a hug.
Devoto carries a painful history. The AP noted it served as a detention site during Argentina’s 1976-1983 dictatorship and was the scene of a deadly 1978 fire, and human rights lawyers want the building preserved while investigations continue. The pope did not address that past in his remarks.
“Argentina, rise up and walk!”
From the prison, Leo traveled to Luján, about 45 miles northwest of the capital, for a farewell Mass at the shrine of the Virgin of Luján, Argentina’s patroness. Wearing vestments in the blue and white of the national flag, he called Argentines to receive God’s grace and pursue forgiveness. He described forgiveness and reconciliation as paths that renew peace, hope and charity, and urged people to build bridges of charity and solidarity, the AP reported.
He closed by borrowing the Apostle Peter’s words to a man lame from birth in the Book of Acts, telling a divided and economically battered nation, “Argentina, rise up and walk!” Before boarding an Aerolíneas Argentinas flight to Lima, Leo walked with President Javier Milei, who shook his hand as he departed, EWTN News reported.
The Luján Mass capped a packed Argentina visit that included an enormous Mass in Buenos Aires and a gathering of hundreds of thousands in Córdoba. People in the crowd told the AP they hoped his message of unity would be heard on all sides.
What the Bible says about visiting prisoners
Choosing a prison as one of the final stops of a national visit echoes Jesus’ own words about the final judgment, when He describes the people He will welcome as His own:
“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” — Matthew 25:36 (KJV)
In that passage, Jesus counts kindness to the hungry, the stranger and the prisoner as kindness done to Himself. A family member of one Devoto inmate put it simply to EWTN News: the pope’s choice to come was “an embrace for us.”
Why it matters for families
Most families will never stand in a crowd of 2 million, but many know someone who is incarcerated or recently released. Prison ministry, letter-writing programs and support for children of incarcerated parents are ways churches put Matthew 25 into practice close to home. This Veterans Day, as congregations also pray for those who served, the pope’s day in Argentina is a reminder that no one is beyond the reach of grace.
What to watch next in Peru
Leo’s Peru leg runs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, the longest stage of the trip, with stops planned in Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa under the motto “Let us open our hearts,” according to Vatican News. In Chiclayo, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023, he is expected to celebrate Mass and meet with clergy and pastoral workers. Peruvians still know him as “Padre Robert,” and a national celebration is planned for his return. Upstormed News will follow the visit.
Read more: Pope Leo Tells 650,000 in Córdoba ‘We Are All Called to Holiness’
Has a prison ministry or a visit from someone of faith ever made a difference in your family’s life?
Sources: Associated Press via CP24, “The pope ends an emotional Argentina visit with a plea for unity and reconciliation” (Nov. 11, 2026); Buenos Aires Herald, “Pope Leo XIV brings message of hope and recovery to Devoto inmates” (Nov. 11, 2026); EWTN News, “LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo bids farewell to Argentina and heads to Peru” (Nov. 11, 2026); Vatican News, “Vatican releases itinerary for Pope’s upcoming journey to Latin America” (Sept. 2026)
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