Pope Leo draws huge crowds at Argentina's holiest shrine

Detailed summary

Pope Leo XIV has drawn vast crowds to Argentina's holiest shrine on the final day of his visit before he departs for Peru, where he spent nearly two decades as a missionary.

Pope Leo XIV has drawn vast crowds to Argentina's holiest shrine on the final day of his visit before he departs for Peru, where he spent nearly two decades as a missionary.

Authorities said over three million people packed the streets around the Basilica of Lujan, with some climbing fences, barriers, trees and lampposts for a glimpse of the pontiff.

Crowds chanted "thank you Leo!" to the 71-year-old pope, who is on a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru less than a month after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

The stop at Lujan was the emotional centerpiece of Leo's first visit to Argentina, where his predecessor Francis never managed to return home as pope.

"Thank you, Argentina, for welcoming me with open arms," he said as he bid farewell to the thronging crowd, which was the largest he drew during his visit to the country.

Throughout his stay in Argentina, Pope Leo has pointedly demanded a more inclusive economy and better protections for the vulnerable, comments widely interpreted as criticism of aid-slashing President Javier Milei.

On Wednesday, the pontiff insisted "there is room for everyone, especially the neediest: the poor and hungry, migrants, the sick and prisoners".

He wore a white-and-sky-blue robe associated with the Virgin of Lujan, echoing the colors of the Argentine flag.

The country's social and political tensions were on display in the crowd, with one group unfurling a banner reading "Land, housing and work for the people".

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