Leo XIV says goodbye in Luján: 3.5 million, per the Province.

The Pope's last Mass in Argentina

Leo XIV celebrated his last Mass in Argentina on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, in Buenos Aires province. It ended the Pope's official program in the country, and according to Infobae he was due to leave for Peru that same afternoon. Governor Axel Kicillof welcomed him as he stepped off the popemobile, as on Monday at the Cottolengo Don Orione.

According to Ámbito, after visiting Devoto the Pontiff entered Luján around 9:45 a.m. and rode the popemobile for about two kilometers along the avenue named for the Virgin. Later he got out and walked to the main altar, greeted by the crowd. Infobae added that, before the ceremony, he blessed children with disabilities who came to see him.

The vigil had begun on Tuesday afternoon in Parque San Martín, with cultural activities, music and meeting spaces, according to Ámbito. Thousands came from across the country and waited until morning. The Mass opened with a version of the song Un nuevo sol by a local choir, and the Pope wore a chasuble in the sky blue and white worn by the image of the patron.

How many came: two figures that do not match

Attendance was reported with different numbers. Infobae estimated, preliminarily, more than two million attendees. Ámbito reported 3.5 million and attributed that figure to the government of Buenos Aires province.

With the provincial figure, the Luján Mass stood above the celebrations the Pope led in Palermo and in Córdoba during this visit, according to Ámbito. That outlet recalled that the largest papal gathering on record was in Manila: there, on January 18, 2015, Francis drew between six and seven million people according to official estimates.

Ámbito added some context: the Basilica gets about six million annual visits from tourists and pilgrims, so the provincial figure is more than half of that number. It also mentioned John Paul II's Mass in Manila on January 15, 1995, which reportedly gathered between four and five million people.

What he said in the homily

According to Infobae, the sermon followed four steps that the Pope tied to the central moments of the Eucharist: reconciliation, the Word of God, communion and mission. He spoke of families and communities going through hard times because of illness, poverty, unemployment, discrimination or family breakups, and proposed processes of forgiveness to build a future in which love has the last word.

Leo XIV also remembered Francis, who felt a special affection for the Virgin. He asked that communion turn into concrete gestures toward the poor, migrants, the sick and prisoners, and said there is room at the table for everyone. Near the end he invited people to carry the Gospel with kind gestures and words: “Argentina, rise and walk.”

Infobae also reported that the Pontiff noted he began his pontificate on May 8, the feast day of Luján's patron, and prayed that the Virgin accompany the Argentine people in building bridges of charity and networks of solidarity.

The farewell and the rest of the day

When the Mass ended, according to Clarín, Leo XIV thanked the crowd for the welcome and explained that he had to continue his mission elsewhere, although he carried Argentines in his heart. He thanked the authorities, the volunteers and the families who took part in the events or followed them through the media. His last line was for the country: “Until always, my dear Argentina.”

Clarín described how the crowd answered with popular chants dedicated to the Pontiff, which could be heard around the Basilica.

He first visited the Devoto federal prison, where, according to Infobae, the Pope met 69 detainees, the last ones held in the facility before it closes. He suggested they see their months of confinement as a chance to rebuild their lives and called for places of detention that support reintegration. He then traveled to Luján, and from there to Ezeiza to fly to Lima, according to the same outlet.

Useful facts

The Mass was held this Wednesday, November 11, in the square of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. According to Ámbito, the Pope arrived around 9:45 a.m. and rode about two kilometers in the popemobile along Avenida Nuestra Señora de Luján. The vigil had started on Tuesday afternoon in Parque San Martín.

Attendance figures change depending on the source: more than two million for Infobae and 3.5 million for Ámbito, which cites the Buenos Aires provincial government. The Basilica receives about six million visitors a year. After the ceremony, the Pope said goodbye at Ezeiza and flew to Peru, according to Infobae.