Ahead of papal visit, archbishop warns of a ‘wounded Argentina’ at Our Lady of Luján shrine

Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires called for national unity and reconciliation during a Mass on Oct. 4 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. Speaking to pilgrims at the end of an annual archdiocesan pilgrimage, the archbishop described Argentina as a wounded and divided nation. He urged the people to seek forgiveness, solidarity, and reconciliation to heal social wounds caused by intolerance and violence.

The pilgrimage, which has occurred annually since 1974, drew an estimated 2.7 million participants this year, according to the Buenos Aires state government. Many pilgrims traveled approximately 37 miles from the St. Cajetan shrine in Buenos Aires to reach the shrine of the country's patroness.

The archbishop's remarks come less than a month before Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to begin a four-day visit to Argentina on Nov. 8.