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Pope Leo XIV Honors Argentine Businessman as Model of Lay Holiness
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV praised Enrique Shaw, a Catholic entrepreneur, as a model of lay holiness during his visit to Córdoba, Argentina.
Pope Leo XIV in popemobile at inauguration.
Pope Leo XIV becomes first American pope to visit Argentina. Good Morning America
Pope Leo XIV highlighted the life of Venerable Enrique Shaw, a Catholic entrepreneur, as a model of lay holiness during his visit to Córdoba, Argentina. Shaw, who underwent a conversion after discovering the beauty of the Gospel, exemplified how economic efficiency and fidelity to the Gospel are not mutually exclusive.
During a Mass on the outskirts of Córdoba, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that all Christians are called to be saints and evangelists, drawing inspiration from the Church’s canonized holy men and women. He noted that Shaw’s life shows that it is possible to be both a businessman and a saint, demonstrating that charity can penetrate even industrial and financial structures.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Córdoba, an industrial city of 1.6 million residents, was marked by overflowing crowds. He praised Shaw’s work in founding the Christian Association of Business Executives (ACDE) in 1952, which aimed to create a community of people called to grow together, not just a productive mechanism or a means of accumulating capital.
In his homily, Pope Leo XIV drew a parallel between the diversity of Córdoba’s mountains and the varied charisms and missions of saints and blesseds. He said, 'Just as Córdoba’s mountains are renowned for the beauty and harmony of their varied shapes and colors, so too are the saints and blesseds characterized by the different charisms and missions they received.'
Pope Leo XIV also met privately with five people who were abused by clergy or Church institutions in Argentina, listening to their experiences for over an hour. He conveyed his closeness and commitment to strengthening measures for protection, well-being, welcome, and accompaniment within the Church.
During his visit to a care home for disabled people near Buenos Aires, Pope Leo XIV praised the work of the home and noted that a nation’s progress is also measured by how it welcomes all people with disabilities and particular needs. He heard the testimonies of residents and staff, highlighting the importance of care and support for those with disabilities.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina was part of his 12-day Latin America tour, during which he delivered a critique of President Javier Milei’s harsh austerity measures, insisting that economic growth must benefit all. He addressed the authorities, civil society, and diplomatic corps, outlining the responsibilities of those entrusted with public office.
The pope’s speech in Buenos Aires, which defended pensioners and public universities squeezed by Milei’s cuts, was met with rapturous applause. He called for unity in a country divided between supporters and opponents of Milei, emphasizing the importance of protecting human dignity and promoting social justice.
What this adds
Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on Shaw’s life as a model of lay holiness aligns with his broader message that holiness is a universal vocation, not a privilege reserved for a select few.
Background
During his Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that holiness is a universal vocation, not a privilege reserved for a select few.
Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that holiness is a universal vocation, not a privilege reserved for a select few, during his Angelus address in St. Peter's Square.
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.
What's still developing
- Pope Leo has said he chose his name partly because Pope Leo XIII confronted the social upheavals of the Industrial Revolution with the 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum.” The document, considered foundational to modern Catholic social teaching, defended workers’ dignity and rights while addressing the responsibilities of employers and the state.
- “This calling is always missionary: we must make known to others the beauty that we have come to know in Christ.” Overflowing crowds welcomed Pope Leo to Cordóba, an industrial city of 1.6 million residents some 430 miles northwest of Buenos Aires.
- “Religions safeguard human dignity,” the Pope said to a gathering of faith leaders at the Palacio San Martín.
- “It got underway under blue skies on a day declared as a national holiday to allow people to attend and relieve normal commuting traffic around the central site.” During his homily, Leo advocated for the Argentine working class, saying they face joblessness, violence, and addiction.
- “At a time when we Argentines are living through such an assault on our living conditions, which are deteriorating day by day, it is a breath of encouragement to keep resisting, to keep fighting,” said Hugo Godoy, secretary-general of the Autonomous Argentine Workers’ Central, one of the country’s main labor federations.
- Most poignantly, there were the “cartoneros,” the Argentine trash pickers and recyclers who had a pride of place during Francis’ papacy.
- Argentines are hoping the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics will help unite the country, which is bitterly divided between supporters and opponents of Milei.
- Calling Córdoba a “home of saints,” Leo noted the diversity of its canonized sons and daughters to illustrate that there are many paths to holiness, including priestly or consecrated life, martyrdom, the founding of religious congregations, care of the sick, education, and lay life.
- Pope Leo XIV incenses a statue of the Blessed Mother during Mass at the Military Aviation School in Córdoba, Argentina, on Nov.
- “He embodied Catholic social teaching in the business world,” she said, demonstrating that an employer can look beyond the economic dimension of a company and recognize “the dimension of human dignity.” Born in Paris to Argentine parents in 1921, Shaw entered Argentina’s naval academy as a teenager and became one of its youngest commissioned officers.
- He also became active in Argentine Catholic Action and helped found the Christian Association of Business Executives, known by its Spanish acronym ACDE, in 1952.
Sources
- Ewtnnewslink
- OSV Newslink
- newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.orglink
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- The Guardianlink
- WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV: Holiness Is Not a Privilege Reserved for a Few link
- Good Morning America — video link
- Vatican News - English — video link
- EWTN News — video link
- Fra Francis OFMCap Media — video link