Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV said the economy must serve the people, not people the economy, in his Buenos Aires address.
- Leo called for particular concern for those affected by illness, dependency and disability, which the report described as a veiled reference to disability assistance cuts.
- Milei said his government was working to avoid punishing the Argentines of tomorrow in order to benefit the Argentines of today.
- The Vatican said no extraordinary measures are being taken over the pope's health, describing him as a 71-year-old who has undergone an operation.
- The visit is the first by a pontiff to Argentina in nearly four decades, and the church said it expects 7 million people at the events.
- Leo arrived from Uruguay, where he condemned drug violence and urged an end to child poverty.
Pope Leo XIV said Argentina's economy must benefit everyone including the poor, in a diplomatic but pointed critique of President Javier Milei's austerity measures, speaking as he arrived in Buenos Aires on November 8. The visit is the second stop on a 12-day tour of Latin America and comes three weeks after the pope had surgery for lung cancer.
"The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy," the pope said. He stressed the plight of those who, "despite hard work, nonetheless struggle to meet their household's needs", and urged that "particular concern be shown for those affected by illness, dependency and disability", which the report described as a veiled reference to the government's cuts to disability assistance.
In what appeared to be a rebuke of Milei's combative style, the pope said strengthening democracy required a "willingness to listen" and the "careful use of words". He also urged Argentina to safeguard its democracy, saying those who exercise authority have a duty to act with prudence and to direct their decisions toward the good of the entire community.
Milei, in his own address welcoming the pope, defended his libertarian policies, saying the rights to life, liberty and property are the backbone of Argentina's constitution and of Western democracies. He said his government was working to avoid "punishing the Argentines of tomorrow in order to benefit the Argentines of today". The Argentine leader, who has said he will seek re-election next year, is a strong supporter of US President Donald Trump.
Milei had been particularly outspoken about Leo's predecessor Francis, whom he called "evil on earth" and a "communist". On Sunday, however, Milei struck a conciliatory tone, calling Francis an "exceptional figure" and "undoubtedly the most important Argentine in history".
In Buenos Aires, Leo laid a wreath at a monument to Jose de San Martin in Plaza San Martin, accompanied by foreign minister Pablo Quirno. Hundreds chanting Papa Leon gathered outside the presidential palace, where Milei hosted him. The church said it expects 7 million people to attend the various events, and the pope will visit a home for disabled people and a prison and celebrate three open-air masses.
The Vatican said no extraordinary measures are being taken in relation to the pope's health, describing him as a "71-year-old who has undergone an operation" rather than someone with a "permanent medical condition". A University of Buenos Aires poll found 57.7% of Argentines identified as Catholic, down from about 90% in the 1960s, and the poverty rate rose to 32.3% in September, the report said.