Pope Leo urges Argentina to share growth with the poor

Speaking after touching down in Buenos Aires, Pope Leo XIV argued that the benefits of growth should reach every citizen, the poor included, according to the BBC. The Guardian described the speech as having drawn enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

The comments were widely read as a measured challenge to President Javier Milei, whose plan to cut public spending has been criticised by the Catholic Church. The Pope said people should not be made to serve the economy. He also highlighted families whose members work hard yet still find it hard to pay for basic needs.

Read also: Pope Leo XIV begins Latin America trip weeks after cancer surgery

He also called for special care for people facing illness, dependency and disability. Observers saw this as an indirect reference to the government’s contested reductions in disability support. He also told the president that public life depends on listening to others and choosing words with care, a remark widely read as a response to Milei’s blunt language.

Milei responds

Milei defended his libertarian approach in his own welcome speech. He said the rights to life, liberty and property form the basis of Argentina’s constitution and of Western democracies. He also said his government was trying not to penalise future Argentines in order to benefit those alive today.

Relations between the two men have been tense in the past. Milei had strongly criticised the late Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina. On Sunday, however, Milei described Francis as an exceptional figure and the most important Argentine in history. Earlier he had also publicly welcomed Leo to the country.

A visit with deep meaning

The trip marks the first papal visit to Argentina in close to forty years. Leo, aged 71, began a 12-day journey across the region about three weeks after an operation for lung cancer. The Vatican says his doctors consider the operation successful and report that the cancer has not spread. The Vatican has also said he does not have a permanent medical condition.

Argentina has been deeply divided during Milei’s time in office. Many Argentines hope the Pope can help bring the country together. Milei has cut spending on public hospitals, universities and pensions, and the poverty rate rose to 32.3 per cent in September. Critics also say he has restricted some democratic freedoms, including the right to protest.

Before arriving in Argentina, the Pope had visited Uruguay, where he condemned drug violence and called for an end to child poverty. In Buenos Aires he stressed personal integrity in public office, saying corruption erodes citizens’ trust in their institutions. Crowds gathered outside the presidential palace, where Milei hosted him, chanting his name.

What comes next

Over the coming days Leo plans visits to a facility for people with disabilities and to a jail, along with three outdoor Masses. Church officials expect around 7 million people across the events. The Argentine leg is seen as a key test of the Church’s standing in a country where a recent University of Buenos Aires poll found 57.7 per cent of people identify as Catholic.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• BBC News: Pope delivers veiled rebuke of Milei's austerity measures
• The Guardian: Pope Leo delivers stinging rebuke of Milei’s austerity measures during Argentina visit

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