Pope leads mega mass in Buenos Aires, meets abuse victims

Pope Leo XIV drew an estimated 2.5 million people to a mass in Buenos Aires, the largest crowd of his papacy so far, during a 12-day South American tour. Less than a month after lung cancer surgery, he urged care for society’s most vulnerable and paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who never returned to Argentina as pontiff.

Leo met privately with five survivors of clerical abuse and reaffirmed his commitment to stronger safeguarding measures, amid criticism from survivor groups over the Church’s response. Earlier, at a home for people with disabilities, he said they were a blessing rather than a burden and that a country should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable; his schedule also included meetings with business leaders, workers and unions.