Pope Leo XIV visited the Federal Penitentiary Complex of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, known as Devoto Prison, on Wednesday, November 11, during the final day of his trip to Argentina. Accompanied by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, the Pope met with the penitentiary community, around seventy inmates according to local media, and listened to the testimonies of two prisoners and one person who has already served their sentence, as reported by Vatican News.
At the prison gate, he was received by the Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva, the Minister of Justice, Juan Bautista Mahiques, and the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Fernando Martínez. Devoto Prison was a familiar place for the current Archbishop Emeritus of Buenos Aires, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio used to visit it every Holy Thursday.
“An opportunity to start over”
In his speech, Pope Leo XIV told the inmates that “the time spent in this institution can be an opportunity to start over,” and invited them to make peace with God and to rejoin their families and society without fear. He added that their current situation is “a particular moment to be able to restart their lives,” and referred to the sleepless nights of those who miss their loved ones or think about those they may have hurt.
The Pope recalled that even when human beings dehumanize themselves and cause tragedies, “a small light continues to shine.” Regarding the limitations and deprivations of prison life, he stated that “human beings do not flourish despite limits, but often through them,” an idea he used to encourage inmates to transform their lives from that experience. He also reminded them that Christ identified with prisoners and that “we are part of the same human family.”
Pope Leo XIV also warned against the false promises of easy money, addictions, and violence, and called for detention centers to be more humane and to promote recovery and reintegration of individuals.
A message for families and those working in prisons
The Pontiff dedicated some words to the families of detainees, especially mothers, fathers, wives, and children, asking them to seek strength in Jesus Christ and to pray that this time of isolation may be “a time of grace and salvation.” He also encouraged them to accompany their children so they do not fall into the networks of crime.
Finally, he addressed prison officials and pastoral agents, acknowledging the sense of powerlessness sometimes caused by violence, corruption, and suffering that seem unchanging. He reminded them that “visiting prisoners is a work of mercy to which we are all called.”
The visit to Devoto concluded the Pope’s agenda in Argentina, where he had already presided over a massive Mass in Buenos Aires, as reported by InfoVaticana. The full text of the message to the prisoners has been published by the Holy See.