Pope Leo XIV joked with the Argentine bishops at the end of the dinner he shared with them on Monday, November 9, at the Archiepiscopal House in Buenos Aires. The Pope assured that he would not tell any jokes, because the nuncios from around the world had been laughing for days about the pontifical representative in Uruguay, and he recalled what he said to the crowd waiting in front of the Nunciature in Montevideo: that they could sing all night, but that the nuncio and the neighbors wanted to sleep.
The joke came after one of the most celebrated moments of the evening. During the dinner, attended by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge García Cuerva, and the President of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, Marcelo Daniel Colombo, the bishops surprised the Pontiff by singing a cappella “Volver,” the famous tango by Carlos Gardel. Leo XIV listened with a smile and joined in the applause, and the prelates concluded the performance with a “Long live the Pope!”
What the Pope said at the Nunciature in Montevideo
The Pope’s reference refers to his first day in Uruguay. On Friday, November 6, after presiding over Vespers at the metropolitan cathedral of Montevideo, Leo XIV retired to the Apostolic Nunciature, where he spent the nights of his stay in the country. Upon hearing the chants of the faithful and, above all, of the young people gathered in the street, he leaned out to greet them and thanked them for their welcome.
In that greeting, the Pope said he saw that “Uruguay is a country of young people with faith.” Then, in a relaxed tone, he added: “The Nuncio says he wants to sleep, but sing as long as you want,” although he clarified that maybe not too much, because the neighbors would also want to rest.
A trip of close gestures
The anecdote adds to other moments of direct interaction with the faithful and the clergy during the apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. In Buenos Aires, the day of November 9 included a visit to the Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole and concluded with this dinner with the episcopate, which according to the information released included empanadas, ojo de bife, and flan with dulce de leche.
After the dinner, the Pontiff returned to the Nunciature of Buenos Aires, where he had a brief nighttime exchange with the faithful gathered at the door. The visit to Argentina continues in the following days with the program planned by the Holy See, before the Pope travels to Peru.