In short
- Pope Leo XIV, 71, arrived in Buenos Aires on Sunday from Uruguay on the second leg of a 12-day Latin America tour, three weeks after surgery for lung cancer.
- In a speech in Buenos Aires, Leo said: “The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy.”
- It is the first visit by a pontiff to Argentina in nearly four decades; the church has said it expects 7 million people to attend the events.
- A recent University of Buenos Aires poll found 57.7% of Argentines identify as Catholic, down from about 90% in the 1960s.
- Argentina’s poverty rate rose to 32.3% in September under President Javier Milei, who took office promising to shrink the welfare state.
Pope Leo XIV criticised Argentine president Javier Milei’s austerity measures in a speech in Buenos Aires on Sunday, saying the economy must serve people rather than the reverse. The visit is the first by a pontiff to Argentina in nearly four decades and came three weeks after the pope’s surgery for lung cancer.
What did Pope Leo XIV say about Milei’s austerity?
Speaking shortly after landing in Argentina, Leo said: “The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy.” He stressed the plight of those who, “despite hard work, nonetheless struggle to meet their household’s needs”, and called for “particular concern be shown for those affected by illness, dependency and disability” — a veiled reference to the government’s cuts to disability assistance.
The pope, 71, also told Milei, who is known for foul-mouthed diatribes, that strengthening democracy required a “willingness to listen” and the “careful use of words”. He said public office demanded “personal integrity” and that “corruption undermines the confidence of citizens in their institutions”.
How was the pope received in Buenos Aires?
Hundreds of people chanting “Papa León” gathered outside the presidential palace, where Milei hosted him, and crowds waited to see the pope visit a monument to liberation hero José de San Martín. “Just like the World Cup unites us, hopefully the pope will too,” said Liliana Deblauwe, a 68-year-old retired teacher. Brian Inacio Rodríguez, a 26-year-old job seeker, travelled five days overland from Ushuaia, at the southern tip of South America, and said he hoped the pope brought “much peace to Argentina”.
Why does the visit matter for the Argentine church?
The Argentina leg is part of a 12-day Latin America tour that began in Uruguay, where Leo condemned drug violence and urged an end to child poverty. A recent University of Buenos Aires poll found that 57.7% of Argentines identify as Catholic, down from about 90% in the 1960s. The church has said it expects 7 million people to attend the various events. Leo will visit a home for disabled people and a prison, and celebrate three open-air masses. He said he was “retracing” the steps of the late pope Francis, an Argentine whom Milei insulted for his pro-poor teachings, and whose failure to visit during his papacy left many Argentines disappointed.
What is Javier Milei’s economic record?
Milei took office promising to revive Argentina’s ailing economy and tame runaway inflation by shrinking the welfare state, targeting public hospitals, universities and pensioners in particular. The poverty rate has swung sharply since he came to power, rising to 32.3% in September. A close ally of US president Donald Trump with a combative style, Milei retains a loyal supporter base for drastically reducing inflation, but has been criticised for restricting several democratic freedoms, including the right to protest.
Frequently asked questions
What did Pope Leo XIV say about Javier Milei’s austerity measures?
In a Buenos Aires speech, Leo said the economy “must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy”, and called for particular concern for those affected by illness, dependency and disability.
When did a pope last visit Argentina?
Leo’s trip is the first visit by a pontiff to Argentina in nearly four decades. The late pope Francis, who was Argentine, did not visit the country during his papacy.
How long is Pope Leo XIV’s Latin America tour?
The tour lasts 12 days and began in Uruguay before moving to Argentina. Leo, 71, embarked on it three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
What is Argentina’s poverty rate under Milei?
The poverty rate rose to 32.3% in September, after swinging sharply since Milei took office promising to shrink the welfare state and tame inflation.
With reporting from The Guardian.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
