Argentina
From the visit to the Piccolo Cottolengo Don Orione to the great celebration with families: the Pope calls the Church to closeness, welcome, and responsibility toward every person.
Pope Leo XIV’s second day in Argentina, Monday, November 9, was marked by meetings that placed human dignity at the center, especially for those living in situations of vulnerability and hardship.
The first stop was the Piccolo Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, a facility that cares for over 400 people, mostly with disabilities, illnesses, and special care needs. Here, the Pontiff met with residents and staff, reminding them that every life is of inestimable value and that people with disabilities cannot be considered a burden to society.
A message that directly recalls the Works of Mercy: visiting the sick, caring for the most vulnerable, offering comfort, and recognizing in the other a person to be welcomed, not a problem to be managed. The quality of a community, Leo XIV emphasized, is also measured by its ability to include those most in need of support.
The family, protagonist of the mission
The day continued with the Eucharistic celebration at the Monumento de los Españoles, in Buenos Aires, in the presence of about two and a half million faithful, according to local authorities.
In the homily, the Pope urged Christian families not to be discouraged by those who consider their role outdated. On the contrary, he reminded them that the family remains a fundamental place to know Christ and learn to live the faith. The invitation was to become protagonists of evangelization, including through everyday relationships and concrete witness.
In the afternoon, Leo XIV met with the world of work at the Catholic University of Argentina, representatives of Christian communities and other religious traditions, and, finally, the Argentine bishops in the Metropolitan Cathedral for the celebration of Vespers.
A Church that cares
The visit to the Cottolengo reveals the most concrete meaning of the day: mercy begins with an encounter with those at risk of being forgotten. It is not limited to words, but becomes presence, care, listening, and recognition of the dignity of every human being.
It is a responsibility that concerns institutions, Christian communities, and every citizen. As the testimony of Don Orione reminds us, caring for the least among us means building a society in which no one is considered useless or left behind.
The mission of mercy also passes through here: from the ability to recognize the value of every life and to transform welcome into daily gestures.
Photo by Edi Libedinsky on Unsplash
Source: Vatican News
