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Argentine Bishops to take up Pope Leo’s challenges for pastoral work
Confirmed
In Short: In April, Pope Leo XIV announced that Bishop James Golka of Colorado Springs would replace retiring Archbishop Samuel Aquila in Denver starting in March.
Pope Leo XIV on Monday praised the work of a care home for disabled people in Claypole, Argentina, during a visit that highlighted the challenges faced by such institutions due to austerity policies.
The pope emphasized the importance of charity and volunteerism, stating, 'I dream of thousands of young people volunteering and a new generation of saints devoted to charity in Argentina.'
Pope Leo XIV heard the testimonies of residents at the care home near Buenos Aires, underscoring the impact of financial difficulties on those serving people with disabilities.
The pope’s visit to the care home was part of his broader apostolic journey in South America, which included stops in Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru.
During his visit, Pope Leo XIV also addressed a Vatican gathering marking the 10th anniversary of 'Amoris Laetitia,' Pope Francis’s teaching document on marriage and family.
Archbishop Scicluna noted that 'Amoris Laetitia' had stimulated an invitation for pastoral conversion, emphasizing the importance of listening to families and discerning situations with open hearts.
Pope Leo XIV’s final stops in Argentina will be less emotional than his return to Peru, where he spent much of his religious career as a missionary and bishop.
The Argentine president, Javier Milei, and other officials attended the farewell ceremony, where the pope exchanged emotional farewells with well-wishers.
Background
Two Peruvian bishops died days before Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit to Peru.
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
- We were expecting it because we could see the number of inquiries and bookings, the buses, people’s eagerness to register, the priests—everyone wanted to take part.
- Bishop James Golka of Colorado Springs will replace retiring Archbishop of Denver Samuel Aquila starting in March, Pope Leo XIV announced Saturday.
- Aquila introduced Golka, who was named bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs by Pope Francis in April 2021,during a news conference at the John Paul II Pastoral Center in Denver on Saturday morning.
- 7-14 Vatican meeting of presidents of bishops’ conferences and heads of Eastern Catholic churches from around the world, alongside married couples and experts, to assess the impact of “Amoris Laetitia” and discuss how the church can better accompany families.
- Luigi Orione in Claypole, Argentina (VATICAN MEDIA) BUENOS AIRES: The logo chosen for the Argentine leg of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey to Latin America gives visual expression to the many Saints and Blesseds of a country with a long Christian tradition and a history of welcoming others.
- But Leo’s final Argentine stops will pale in comparison to the emotional highlight of his South American trip, when he returns home later Wednesday to Peru.
- This is a temporary role, by which the Holy See ensures that the pastoral governance of a diocese will continue, when it is not possible for a diocesan Bishop to exercise his office.
- According to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, participants in the meeting will include the heads of the 15 Eastern Catholic Churches “sui iuris” (14 represented by their patriarchs or highest authorities and one by a delegate), the presidents of the world’s 115 bishops’ conferences (those of Peru, Paraguay, Turkey, and Ethiopia will send delegates), two representatives of bishops from territories without a bishops’ conference, and 22 participants specially chosen by the Holy Father.
- These families will present to more than 150 bishops the challenges they encounter in passing on the faith in increasingly secularized societies.
- 7–14, during which bishops will listen to the testimony of 11 married couples from five continents.
- On each of the five Sundays of Lent, the Bishop of Rome will visit parish communities across the city’s five pastoral regions—bringing the papacy to places where daily life is lived with quiet faith, struggle, and hope.
- Albanese notes, from the earliest centuries “the Sea of Rome was relevant, important for the other churches,” and over time “the Bishop of Rome became the Pope.” Pope Leo XIV’s decision to spend Lent with Rome’s parishes highlights this ancient reality: the papacy begins not in ceremonies, but in shepherding.