Pope Leo XIV presided on Monday, November 9, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Buenos Aires, the celebration of Vespers with the Argentine episcopate and the country’s synodal teams. In the homily, published by the Holy See, he asked the bishops: “Let us safeguard communion, welcoming our legitimate differences with charity,” and encouraged them to continue listening to one another and discerning together with their synodal teams in the light of the Word and the Magisterium.
Before the celebration, the Pope paused in prayer before the commemorative plaque of Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the cathedral, where eight grandnephews of Francis were present; they gave him a white rose, the symbol of Saint Thérèse, to whom the Argentine Pontiff professed devotion. During the celebration, Leo XIV intoned the Our Father in Latin together with the bishops and the members of the synodal teams.
Unity in the diversity of the particular Churches
Leo XIV recalled that the Church in Argentina lives in regions with their own traditions and pastoral expressions, and that this diversity is united in the same faith, the same sacraments, and communion. He cited the conciliar decree Christus Dominus to emphasize that in each particular Church “the Church of Christ is truly present and active.” He presented as models of shepherds who worked for unity and peace the blessed Mamerto Esquiú, Enrique Angelelli, and Eduardo Pironio, and quoted the phrase from his letter to the Latin American bishops: “Saints continue to form saints.”
From the relief on the cathedral’s façade, which depicts the reunion of Joseph with his brothers, the Pope affirmed that reconciliation requires acknowledging wounds and renouncing resentment, and cited Genesis: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” He also asked that the proclamation of Christ be the center of pastoral action, with attention to the formation of agents, catechesis, liturgy, and vocations, as well as to the poor, the unemployed, and those who lack decent housing.
Synodal teams and Aparecida as a guide
The Pontiff encouraged the bishops to continue with the synodal teams and to keep working according to the Aparecida Document, which he presented as a shining star for walking together at this time. The reference to listening and shared discernment places the address in line with the synodality that Leo XIV has maintained since the beginning of his pontificate, although without expressly pronouncing the word, as the official account of the General Secretariat of the Synod noted.
The homily concluded with a Marian perspective. Leo XIV presented Mary, attentive to the needs of others as at the wedding at Cana, as a model for shepherds and asked for her intercession for constant conversion. Before dinner with the bishops, he greeted Buenos Aires and Argentina with spontaneous words, sent everyone “to announce the Good News with joy,” and ended with a “Long live Christ!”
The “legitimate differences” and the Traditional Mass
The phrase about “legitimate differences” has prompted among the faithful linked to the traditional liturgy the question of whether it includes those who request the ancient Mass. A Catholic raised this on the X network, noting that as long as Traditionis custodes remains in force, only some differences will be admitted. The text of the homily does not mention the liturgy prior to the reform.
The issue comes after the reception that a group of young people arranged for the Pope in Buenos Aires with signs requesting the Traditional Mass, an episode that InfoVaticana reported on November 9. Also, the archbishop emeritus of La Plata, Héctor Aguer, asked to repeal Traditionis custodes during the Pope’s visit to Argentina.