Pope Leo heads to Milei's Argentina as tensions loom over austerity, Iran
The pope will meet Javier Milei as Argentina’s Catholic Church criticizes austerity cuts that have pushed poverty to 32.3%, officials said.
- On Sunday, November 8, 2026, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires for a three-day Argentine tour, meeting President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada for a formal welcome ceremony aimed at helping mend deep national divisions.
- President Milei's austerity measures have slashed social spending since December 2023, affecting public hospitals and pensioners, prompting the Catholic Church to criticize the government for prioritizing fiscal surplus over the needs of the poor.
- On Monday, November 9, Leo will visit the Cottolengo Don Orione facility, a care center housing 410 residents with disabilities, drawing attention to the tangible impact of government spending cuts on vulnerable populations.
- In his first address, the pope called for the defense of democracy and a 'careful use of words,' urging leaders to acknowledge the limits of power, a message that contrasts sharply with Milei's combative political rhetoric.
- The tour marks the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly 40 years, ending the long absence of Pope Francis, and positions Leo as a potential mediator in a country bitterly divided over Milei's economic policies.
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352 Articles
Leo XIV is the first Pope in nearly 40 years to travel to Argentina. He obviously has little understanding of President Javier Milei's economic policy.
In front of President Javier Milei, the pope explained on Sunday evening in Buenos Aires that if democracy was "a legacy", it had to be preserved and strengthened.
Pope Leo XIV has urged Argentine President Javier Milley and the country’s political leaders to safeguard democracy and use their words carefully. The pontiff delivered his message in his first speech in Buenos Aires, shortly after arriving in Argentina for the first papal visit to the country in nearly four decades. Leo XIV met with Milley shortly after landing. The two spoke at the presidential palace, the Casa Rosada, before the pope met with…
At the beginning of his visit to Argentina, Pope Leo XIV criticised President Milei's "chain saw policy" and called for more consideration. For almost four decades, no Pope has been a guest in the South American country.
Pope Leo XIV considered on Sunday that the economy should be "at the service of the person, not the person at the service of the economy".
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