Pope Leo XIV lauds an Argentine city as a ‘home of saints’

CÓRDOBA, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV said all Christians are called to be saints and hence evangelists, drawing inspiration and guidance from the Church’s canonized holy men and women.

“We are all called to holiness. This is our task here on Earth: to attain perfect union with God. Moreover, this calling is always missionary: We must make known to others the beauty that we have come to know in Christ,” Leo said on Nov. 10.

The pope’s words came in a homily at an open-air Mass on the outskirts of the city of Córdoba in central Argentina. Local authorities said the Mass, celebrated on the grounds of a military aviation school, drew about 650,000 people.

Calling Córdoba a “home of saints,” Leo noted the diversity of its canonized sons and daughters to illustrate that there are many paths to holiness, including priestly or consecrated life, martyrdom, the founding of religious congregations, care of the sick, education, and lay life.

“Just as Córdoba’s mountains are renowned for the beauty and harmony of their varied shapes and colors, so too are the saints and blesseds characterized by the different charisms and missions they received. They offer a polyphonic witness to the…