Pope Leo XIV Honors Pope Francis at Buenos Aires Cathedral

8:01 PM ETConfirmedShare via:

Faith Desk

In Short: Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to his predecessor Pope Francis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pope Francis (Wikidata P18) — Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Pope Leo XIV paused before a memorial plaque dedicated to Pope Francis during Vespers at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The marble plaque, which includes Francis's coat of arms and motto Miserando atque eligendo, commemorates his tenure as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1998 to 2013.

Pope Leo XIV's nieces and nephews presented him with a white rose, symbolizing the spiritual legacy and values of their uncle, Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV also spoke about Pope Francis during his first two days in Buenos Aires, highlighting his vision of an open, welcoming church.

'Make the vision of Evangelii Gaudium your priority,' Pope Leo XIV urged, referring to Pope Francis's first apostolic exhortation.

Bishop Parkes, during a Mass at the cathedral, described saints as 'the people who let God's light shine through them,' a sentiment echoed by Pope Leo XIV's tribute to Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV's visit to the cathedral also included a group photo and brief conversations with his nieces and nephews.

The plaque was updated after Pope Francis's death and restored for Pope Leo XIV's visit, serving as a poignant reminder of his predecessor's legacy.

Pope Leo XIV's emphasis on continuity and the spiritual legacy of Pope Francis underscores the ongoing impact of his papacy on the Catholic Church.

What this adds

Pope Leo XIV's visit to Buenos Aires and his tribute to Pope Francis reflect a continuation of the latter's vision for the Church.

The white rose presented to Pope Leo XIV symbolizes the tenderness, hope, and mercy that Pope Francis sought to cultivate within the Church.

Pope Leo XIV's emphasis on the spiritual legacy of Pope Francis highlights the enduring influence of his papacy on the Catholic community.

Background

Pope Francis was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from his election in 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American, and the first pope born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity of Buenos Aires is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina.

What's confirmed

Catholic faithful hold an Argentine flag bearing images of the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV as they wait for Pope Leo XIV to arrive to celebrate Mass at Parque Paris Londres in Paysandu, Uruguay, Saturday, Nov.
Pope Leo XIV arrives to celebrate vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and seminarians at the Metropolitan Cathedral, in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the first day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Friday, Nov.

What's still developing

Before celebrating Vespers with the Argentine Bishops and the synodal teams, the Pope paused before the memorial for a few moments of silence and prayer.
He paid tribute to his predecessor in the very place where Pope Francis, as a pastor, had celebrated many Masses, heard confessions, and met many of the faithful.
It commemorates the man who, before becoming Pope, was the pastor of this large and populous Archdiocese.
With the Pope beside them, they knelt and laid the flowers beneath the plaque.
After a group photo, Pope Leo greeted each of the children with a wave and paused to speak briefly with one of them, Tomi.
Pope Leo had already spoken of Pope Francis several times in recent days, beginning on the flight and continuing in nearly all his addresses during his first two days in Buenos Aires.
Noting the many saints depicted in the cathedral’s windows, he said, “They are all shades, hues, colors of holiness” like the Beatitudes described in the Mass’ Gospel reading from Matthew 5:1-12.
Parkes, Franciscan leaders and others who championed the martyrs’ cause over decades.
Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago, became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015, and led the Diocese of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, from 2015 to 2023 before his election as Pope Leo XIV in May 2025.
Vatican News reports that the pope built the text around the liturgical rite used to welcome a bishop into his cathedral, turning each gesture — walking through the door, kissing the crucifix, being sprinkled with holy water — into a daily obligation rather than a one-time ceremony.
Yet after Leo entered the vast cathedral today (Sept. 25) immersed in the church's pounding organ music, he told Paris' Catholic community — some 2,500 inside with another roughly 5,000 watching on screens outdoors — that the reconstruction of Notre Dame offered an encounter "that has expanded horizons of welcome and participation beyond the boundaries of ecclesial affiliation."
Two years later, his successor preached the late pope's vision of an open, welcoming church in the Parisian cathedral during its first papal visit since flames swallowed the church's iconic spire in 2019.

Sources

Vaticannewslink
Kdhnewslink
Oskaloosalink
Goshennewslink
OSV Newslink
Eagletribunelink
Newspressnowlink
Tdtnewslink
Latintimeslink
Ncronlinelink
Ottumwacourierlink
Wikipedia — background on Pope Francis link
Wikipedia — background on Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral link
EWTN News — video link
EWTN News — video link
Associated Press — video link
Shalom World News — video link
DRM News — video link