This Was Pope Leo XIV’s Historic Argentina Visit: The Key Moments Before His Ezeiza Farewell

Pope Leo XIV bids farewell from his plane at Ezeiza International Airport in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, on November 11, 2026.
Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP via Getty Images

Pope Leo XIV brought his four-day Argentine apostolic tour to a close on Wednesday with a sweeping outdoor Mass on the plaza facing the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, where an estimated 2.5 million faithful packed the grounds in one of the country’s largest religious gatherings in modern memory. With the liturgy complete, the pontiff traveled to Ezeiza International Airport for a 1:30 p.m. farewell ceremony, before his 2:00 p.m. departure to Lima, Peru.

Arrival, Milei, and Plaza San Martín

The papal aircraft touched down at Buenos Aires’ Jorge Newbery Airport at 4:33 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, arriving from Montevideo. President Javier Milei, joined by his sister Karina — Secretary General of the Presidency — received Leo XIV at the foot of the stairs in what marked the first papal visit since 1987, when John Paul II walked Argentine soil. From the airport, the Pope traveled to Plaza San Martín to pay tribute at the monument to the Liberator and the Armies of Independence, before meeting with government officials, civil society leaders, and the diplomatic corps at Palacio Libertad.

Monday: Cottolengo and the Palermo Mass

On Monday, November 9 — declared a national holiday by presidential decree — Leo XIV visited the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, a charitable institution serving some of Buenos Aires province’s most vulnerable residents. It was one of the tour’s most emotionally resonant pastoral gestures. That afternoon, the Pope celebrated Mass at the Monument of the Spaniards in the Palermo neighborhood, drawing approximately 2.5 million faithful who lined the streets as the popemobile passed through.

Córdoba: The Interior Stage

On Tuesday, November 10, the papal aircraft departed Buenos Aires at approximately 7:30 a.m. and landed at Ambrosio Taravella International Airport in Córdoba at 9:00 a.m. The day included a large outdoor Mass and closed with a nighttime youth gathering, featuring musical performances by Maggie Cullen, Nahuel Pennisi, Valentino Merlo, Banuev, and Tati Domínguez, alongside an ensemble of dancers.

A Morning Inside Devoto

The final day opened at 8:00 a.m. with a pastoral visit to the Federal Penitentiary Complex of Villa Devoto. For roughly 30 minutes, Leo XIV met directly with a small group of inmates — between 60 and 80 had remained at the facility specifically to receive him, as the historic Buenos Aires prison is in the process of being vacated and transferred to a new complex. The Pope listened to testimony and addressed the group with a message of hope.

“Argentina, Rise and Walk”

Faithful light candles during a youth vigil with Pope Leo XIV at the Monument of the Spanish, in Palermo neighborhood in Buenos Aires on November 10, 2026.
Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP via Getty Images

Shortly after 10:00 a.m., dressed in a sky-blue and white vestment bearing an image of Our Lady of Luján, Leo XIV ascended the altar on the basilica plaza and began his closing Mass. The Buenos Aires provincial government estimated more than 2 million attendees; the Buenos Aires Police reported 2.5 million. During the homily, the Pope delivered the phrase that became the defining message of the entire journey — a call that echoed the Argentine Bishops’ Conference pre-visit prayer: “Argentina, rise and walk.”

Farewell at Ezeiza

With the Mass concluded, Leo XIV traveled to Ezeiza International Airport for the official farewell ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Before boarding the aircraft, he offered a brief reflection on what his Argentine welcome had meant: “I felt right at home.” At 2:00 p.m., the papal plane lifted off toward Lima, Peru — the final destination of his seventh apostolic journey outside Italy.