In brief

• Pope Leo XIV called for more consideration of the poor and weak at the start of his Argentina visit.
• He criticized the austerity policies of President Javier Milei and set Catholic social teaching against libertarian ideas.
• The trip is the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly four decades and forms part of a twelve-day tour of South America.

Pope urges care for the vulnerable

Pope Leo XIV told officials in Buenos Aires that people in power must recognize the limits of the authority entrusted to them. He said political decisions should serve the common good and keep the weakest and poorest in view (Buenos Aires - Papst mahnt Argentiniens Präsident Milei zu sozialer Verantwortung – Deutschlandfunk). He said families teach people to care for the weak, to forgive, to share and to help those in need, and that the same principles should guide society as a whole (Papst Leo XIV. fordert in Argentinien mehr Rücksicht auf Schwache – tagesschau.de).

Criticism of Milei's policies

The pope reminded Milei that no generation starts from zero, since each inherits institutions built by those before it. He also set the principles of Catholic social teaching against the libertarian ideas of the president, who has pursued what he calls a "chainsaw" approach to the state. Milei, who took office in 2023, has aimed to shrink the state apparatus sharply, cut subsidies and wind down social programs. Inflation has fallen considerably since then, but the social hardship that came with the measures has drawn wide criticism.

Divided country

Argentina has a population of 46 million, and according to official statistics about a third of residents live in poverty. The country is deeply split between supporters and opponents of Milei, and many Argentines hope the papal visit will help bring it together (Pope Leo arrives in Argentina amid divisions over Milei’s austerity – France 24). The pope was greeted at the airport by Milei himself, who had earlier insulted the late Pope Francis over his teachings on the poor.

Trip context

The visit to Argentina is the first stop in Buenos Aires after the pope began a tour of Latin America in Uruguay, the first trip of his pontificate to the region. It is the first visit by a pope to the homeland of Francis in almost four decades. The tour is planned to last twelve days.

Read also

• Pope Leo Begins 12-Day Latin America Tour Three Weeks After Lung Cancer Surgery
• Pope Leo XIV ends Uruguay visit with Florida mass, then flies to Argentina to meet Milei