• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Worshippers attend a Mass at the Basilica of Lujan in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 16, 2025, to pray for Pope Francis amid his ongoing treatment for double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted Feb. 14. The Vatican confirmed that the 88-year-old pontiff concelebrated Mass at the hospital chapel March 16. (OSV News photo/Martin Cossarini, Reuters)

The poor praying for Pope Francis’ health packed famous basilica in Buenos Aires province

March 19, 2025
By David Agren
OSV News
Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

BUENOS AIRES (OSV News) — Argentines working in humble barrios, or neighborhoods, and the people they serve, prayed for the health of Pope Francis at one of the country’s most important Catholic shrines — a show of affection and support from a population that the Holy Father made a priority in his time as local archbishop.

The March 16 Mass was celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján and marked the 17th anniversary of Familia Grande Hogar de Cristo, a ministry for supporting addiction recovery founded by the “curas villeros” — a team of priests working in the country’s shantytowns — and supported by the then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires.

A woman holds a statue of Mary as worshippers attend a Mass at the Basilica of Lujan in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 16, 2025, to pray for Pope Francis amid his ongoing treatment for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted Feb. 14. The Vatican confirmed that the 88-year-old pontiff concelebrated Mass at the hospital chapel March 16. (OSV News photo/Martin Cossarini, Reuters)

“We pray at this moment for the health of our former bishop, who 17 years ago gave the initial kick-start to begin the task that we, the priests of the slums, have been carrying out and that he has always accompanied up to the present day,” said Father José de María di Paola, a prominent cura villero.

“Hogar de Cristo is a way of experiencing the church that Pope Francis teaches us: a church going to the peripheries, a church for the poor,” he added. “We’re interested in the lives of the most vulnerable in each of the places where we live.”

Pope Francis’ health remains delicate after being hospitalized for over a month with a severe respiratory condition. His ill health has prompted outpourings of concern and expressions of support from church leaders in Argentina — especially the curas villeros — but a somewhat muted response from society at large.

The responses reflected the pope’s complicated relationship with his native Argentina, where observers say he has been seen by some as a player in the country’s messy and divided domestic politics rather than the leader of the universal church.

Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires spoke of that complicated relationship at a Feb. 24 Mass celebrated for Pope Francis in a public plaza, where he said, “We have always put him in the middle of our sterile discussions, we have put him in our political divides.”

Adding to the bewilderment for many in Argentina: Pope Francis never returned for a visit after being elected in 2013 — even though he twice flew over the country on trips to Paraguay and Chile.

As archbishop in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis championed the work of the curas villeros — often traveling to their parishes on public transit for feast days — while shunning high society. He also sent seminarians to gain experience there.

The priests’ work involved working with vices such as drug addiction, while confronting problems such as poverty and exclusion in barrios — where they live with the people they serve — often lacking basic services such as health and maintenance.

“He liked this style that we priests of the slums have, of living in a neighborhood and building the life of the church in the neighborhood, above all strengthening popular religiosity and people’s organization,” Father di Paola told OSV News.

Virgina Bonard, a Catholic journalist in Buenos Aires, who attended the Mass in Luján, said the Mass showed the affection the poor in Argentina continue to hold for Pope Francis.

“The basilica is huge and was packed, no one could get in. There was no room. Everyone was poor,” she said. “The poor love the pope.”

Read More Vatican News

Use wealth to help people, not destroy them, pope says

Pope Leo XIV shares video message with Chicago ALS event in honor of his friend

Pope sends Rosh Hashana wishes to Rome Jewish community

U.S. Supreme Court justice speaks at Vatican Jubilee of Justice

Family’s role in church, society needs support, pope says

Religious obedience is ‘act of love’ that builds community, pope says

Copyright © 2025 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

David Agren

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Cardinal Dolan: Kirk was ‘a modern-day St. Paul’ and wasn’t ‘afraid’ to say Jesus’ name

  • National Blue Ribbon program’s end doesn’t diminish great works of Catholic education

  • Pilgrims celebrate 50th anniversary of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s canonization

  • School Sisters of Notre Dame announce election of new provincial council

  • Westminster parish ignites wonder in youth

| Latest Local News |

Radio Interview: Vocations flourish in Archdiocese of Baltimore

Deacon Dodge, who ministered in South Baltimore, dies at 79

Jesuits USA East completes two solar energy projects in Maryland

Catholic Charities names community center after education advocate Carolyn E. Fugett

Westminster parish ignites wonder in youth

| Latest World News |

Chicago Archdiocese’s plan to award Durbin for immigration work meets pushback over abortion

Nigerian priest killed; killings, kidnappings prompt fear of genocide of Christians

Cardinal Dolan: Kirk was ‘a modern-day St. Paul’ and wasn’t ‘afraid’ to say Jesus’ name

Philippine clergy support massive anti-corruption protests in Manila

Use wealth to help people, not destroy them, pope says

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • The day I hit my Mass goal (and kept going)
  • Chicago Archdiocese’s plan to award Durbin for immigration work meets pushback over abortion
  • Nigerian priest killed; killings, kidnappings prompt fear of genocide of Christians
  • Mother of slain college student: God bless Erika Kirk for her act of forgiveness
  • Cardinal Dolan: Kirk was ‘a modern-day St. Paul’ and wasn’t ‘afraid’ to say Jesus’ name
  • Philippine clergy support massive anti-corruption protests in Manila
  • Use wealth to help people, not destroy them, pope says
  • Pope Leo XIV shares video message with Chicago ALS event in honor of his friend
  • Radio Interview: Vocations flourish in Archdiocese of Baltimore

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en