A Year After His Death: Basilica Where His Vocation Began Hosts Hundreds in Tribute to Pope Francis

Buenos Aires, Argentina – A year after his passing, the spiritual home of Pope Francis, the Basilica of San José de Flores, became a focal point for hundreds of devoted followers and local residents who gathered to honor the memory of the Argentine pontiff. The Archdiocese of Buenos Aires organized a special mass, drawing a significant crowd eager to pay tribute to the man who rose from their city to lead the Catholic Church.

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We believe that Francisco left us a legacy to transmit and live. As I heard a few days ago, he played a luxury first half in this life and left us a second half to keep fighting.

From early morning, the area around the basilica buzzed with activity as people arrived to remember the Pope, who died on April 21, 2025. Among them was Rogersy Zambrano of the civil association Legado de Francisco, who spoke of the Pope's enduring message. "He left us concrete words about war, caring for the earth, and the most fragile. They are simple messages, but they make us reflect on how we live and how we think about the future of our country and the world," Zambrano stated, expressing pride in seeing so many people united and in how Pope Francis "opened the doors to many people who were previously distant."

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He left us concrete words about war, caring for the earth, and the most fragile. They are simple messages, but they make us reflect on how we live and how we think about the future of our country and the world. I feel pride. Pride in seeing so many people gathered and, as part of the Church, in seeing that he opened the doors to many people who were previously distant. He left us a Church that is closer.

The Archdiocese had anticipated a large turnout, estimating around 2,000 attendees, and installed screens outside the basilica to accommodate those who could not fit inside. Eighty-six-year-old Hugo Edgardo Romo, a lifelong resident of the Flores neighborhood, shared his personal connection to the church. "I was born in Flores 86 years ago. When I was young, we came every Sunday to church. It was all different: we gathered with older and younger people, we had social gatherings, and we had a great time. I always have those memories," he recounted, finding solace in the current gathering amidst difficult times for the country.

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I was born in Flores 86 years ago. When I was young, we came every Sunday to the church. It was all different: we gathered with people older and younger, we had social events, and we had a great time. I always have those memories.

Maricel Schmit, 54, noted the presence of many young people, a testament to Pope Francis's efforts to engage the youth. "I'm happy to see so much youth, because that's what Francis was looking for, to mobilize young people. And he achieved it. I have two teenage daughters who follow and love him," she said. The mass, celebrated by Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, underscored the profound significance of the basilica, the very place where Cardinal Bergoglio, as he was then known, felt the call to the priesthood in a confessional, a pivotal moment that shaped his life and, ultimately, the global Catholic Church.

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I go out for a walk every day, I pass by the church. Today I went out as usual and found this pleasant surprise. I already knew it was a year since the Pope's death. It's a very emotional act, because it brings back many memories. And the people here are good-faith people, who come to thank, to ask. With faith, we can have good ideas, be good people, care for the sick, worry about the weakest and those without work. In a difficult time for the country, this consoles those who need it most.