President Milei Welcomes Pope Leo During Historic Visit To Argentina

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday, for the first papal visit to the country in nearly four decades, as tensions between the Catholic Church and President Javier Milei's government over austerity measures and social spending remain high.

Milei, accompanied by his sister and presidential secretary Karina Milei, welcomed the 71-year-old pontiff at Buenos Aires' Jorge Newbery airport. The Pope arrived from Uruguay, the first stop of his 12-day, three-country South American tour. The last pontiff to visit Argentina was Pope John Paul II in 1987.

In his first public address, Leo delivered a pointed message on Milei's economic policies, saying, “The economy must serve the person, not the person the economy.” He acknowledged the importance of encouraging private investment but stressed that economic growth must also benefit unemployed people, retirees and struggling families.

The remarks came as Milei's austerity programme, which includes sweeping public spending cuts, subsidy reductions, deregulation and plans to privatise state-owned companies, continues to reshape Argentina's economy. The measures have helped produce a budget surplus and bring annual inflation down from around 200 per cent to approximately 32 per cent. However, real wages remain below their levels when Milei took office in December 2023, and nearly 300,000 formal jobs have disappeared.

Leo also called for political civility, urging leaders to respect differing opinions and safeguard democracy. “Authority is most authentic when it is exercised as service,” he said, adding that public decisions must serve the well-being of the entire community.

The visit also carries significance because Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, was born in Buenos Aires but never returned to Argentina during his papacy. Milei had previously criticised Francis, calling him a communist and an imbecile for defending social justice. He nevertheless praised the late pontiff during Sunday's welcome, describing him as an exceptional figure and one of Argentina's most important historical personalities.

Leo also called for greater investment in universities, vocational training and research amid funding cuts and protests by students and academics. He questioned why young Argentines should have to leave their homeland to pursue their dreams.

The Pope further stressed that natural resources must benefit local communities and warned that artificial intelligence requires careful oversight.

Leo will remain in Argentina until Wednesday, visiting religious institutions and a prison, celebrating Mass in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján, before travelling to Peru. His visit comes as Catholic identification in Argentina declined from 71 per cent in 2013-14 to 58 per cent a decade later.