Pope Leo XIV urges men to respect wives amid Latin American femicide crisis

Mass concludes tour leg in Florida

The pontiff delivered this message during a homily at an open-air mass outside a basilica in the south-central city of Florida. He told fathers and grandfathers to ask for forgiveness and live with integrity even when doing so requires sacrifice. Warm sunshine filled the central plaza where thousands of worshippers gathered following several days of atypically cold conditions caused by El Niño.

Statistics reveal deadly gender violence

In just the last five years, the region saw almost 20,000 cases of female deaths. Most victims were murdered by a current or former partner according to recent data from the UN regional economic mission. In 2024 specifically more than 3,800 women died in Latin America and the Caribbean because of their gender.

Next stop Argentina with Milei

After arriving in Argentina, Pope Leo is set to meet with President Javier Milei, whose austerity measures have faced severe condemnation from the Catholic Church. He plans to stop at a disability care facility and a correctional institution in order to bring attention to underserved communities. This marks his first major visit since undergoing surgery for lung cancer three weeks ago.