Pope Leo XIV meets with incarcerated men at Devoto Prison in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 11, during the final day of his apostolic visit to the country. (Foto: Instagram)
Pope Leo XIV visited Devoto Prison in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, meeting with incarcerated men and a former inmate who spoke about faith and the possibility of rebuilding their lives. The pope listened to their accounts and embraced the men who shared their experiences.
The visit took place as the 99-year-old facility prepares to close. About 1,500 people held there are being transferred to other prisons in Argentina. Leo addressed approximately 75 inmates during the gathering, which was part of the final day of his apostolic trip to the country.
In his remarks, the pope said that people can find a way to begin again even after experiencing suffering, wrongdoing and pain. He described the current circumstances of those at the prison as an opportunity to start their lives anew, and said he hoped everyone, including himself, would carry the message that a new life is possible. He called that belief a necessary form of hope.
Leo thanked Cristian and Maximiliano, who are incarcerated, and Reinaldo, a former inmate, for sharing their stories. The three described faith as a source of transformation and said that time spent in the prison chapel helped them feel less alone. Cristian, 29, said a new life could be lived through Jesus. Maximiliano, 32 and a father, urged others to leave crime behind, saying that love alone could change the world and that God is love. Reinaldo also emphasized that a new life was possible.
The pope was welcomed by prison community representatives, including Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, the archbishop of Buenos Aires and the pope’s delegate for prison ministry; Fernando Julián Martínez, director of the Federal Penitentiary Service; and Father Matías De Martini, the facility’s chaplain. De Martini thanked Leo for coming and described his presence as an embrace that does not judge people by their pasts but recognizes each person’s dignity. The visit continued the Catholic Church’s tradition of reaching out to people deprived of their freedom.
Leo arrived in Argentina on Sunday, Nov. 8, and was received by President Javier Milei. The two held a private meeting at the Casa Rosada, the seat of the Argentine government. The pope later met with officials, civil society representatives and diplomats at Palacio Libertad. The 12-day South American trip began in Uruguay, continued in Argentina and is scheduled to conclude in Peru, where Leo lived for many years as a missionary and bishop. The journey came less than a month after the pope underwent surgery on Oct. 13. The Vatican said before the trip that his recovery was progressing well and that there were no medical restrictions against traveling.
