Pope Leo Presses Milei on Economy in First Argentina Visit Since 1987

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires on Sunday for the first papal visit to Argentina since 1987, and used his opening speech to urge President Javier Milei to make the economy serve ordinary people and to safeguard democracy. Al Jazeera, The Independent and The Guardian all reported that the address was closely watched because of tensions between Milei's austerity program and the Catholic Church.

Milei and his sister Karina Milei, the presidential secretary, greeted the pope at the airport, according to Al Jazeera. Milei called Leo an exceptional figure, a warmer tone than he took toward the late Pope Francis, whom he once insulted.

The numbers behind the visit

• 1987: The year of the last papal visit, by John Paul II. Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires, never returned as pope during his papacy, which The Independent put at 12 years.
• 7 million: The number of people Argentine officials estimate could see the pope, according to The Independent. The Guardian reported that the church expects 7 million to attend the various events.
• 58 percent: The share of Argentines who identified as Catholic about a decade after 2013-2014, down from 71 percent, according to a Pew Research Center survey cited by Al Jazeera. A University of Buenos Aires poll put the figure at 57.7 percent, The Guardian reported.
• 33 percent: Annual inflation under Milei, down from over 200 percent, according to The Independent.
• 300,000: The number of formal jobs lost since the reforms began, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also said real wages remain lower than when Milei took office.
• 32.3 percent: The poverty rate in September, according to The Guardian, which said the rate has swung widely since Milei took power.

What the pope told Milei

Leo, 71, said the economy must serve the person rather than the other way around, according to Al Jazeera's translation. He encouraged policies that stimulate private initiative but said growth should also benefit the unemployed, retirees and workers who still struggle to meet household needs.

The Guardian described the speech as a stinging critique of austerity and said Leo called for particular concern for people affected by illness, dependency and disability. The paper read that as a veiled reference to cuts in disability assistance. The Independent noted that Leo did not name Milei's austerity program directly.

On democracy, Leo said it is part of Argentina's heritage and needs to be protected, according to Al Jazeera and The Independent. The Independent reported that he described it as strengthened by patient efforts at agreement and by seeing people who think differently as fellow citizens. The Guardian reported that he also said strengthening democracy requires a willingness to listen and careful use of words, and that corruption undermines citizens' trust in institutions.

He also said authority is most authentic when exercised as service. Al Jazeera reported that he called for more state investment in education and vocational training, and The Independent said he stressed that technological innovation needs ethical consciousness. Milei has promoted artificial intelligence and wants Argentina to become a major destination for data centers, according to The Independent.

Why it matters for Argentines

The visit lands in a country divided over Milei's economic program. The Independent reported that his approval has declined in polls ahead of next year's elections, as Argentines face reduced subsidies, public-sector job cuts and business failures. Milei has said he plans to seek re-election. His supporters credit him with sharply reducing inflation, according to The Guardian, while critics point to cuts in social support, including disability allowances.

The Guardian reported that many Argentines hope the visit will help heal those divisions. Liliana Deblauwe, a 68-year-old retired teacher, said she hoped the pope would unite the country the way the World Cup does. Fortunato Mallimaci, a sociologist at Argentina's Conicet research institute, told The Independent the trip would offer unity and encouragement to people who feel sidelined by Milei's economic policies.

Nicolas Watson of the advisory firm Teneo said any papal remarks on poverty or the limits of markets could be read as implicit criticism of Milei and could strengthen opposition to his approach, according to The Independent.

What happens next

Leo's Latin American tour lasts 12 days and began in Uruguay. The Independent reported that it includes 50 events and runs until Nov. 17. In Argentina he is scheduled to visit a prison and a care center for people with disabilities and to celebrate Mass in Buenos Aires, Lujan and Cordoba province. He leaves for Peru on Wednesday. The Vatican has described the trip as a homecoming for Leo, who worked for decades as a missionary in Peru and became a Peruvian citizen, according to The Independent.

The trip comes weeks after Leo underwent surgery for lung cancer, The Guardian and The Independent reported.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by Al Jazeera, The Independent, The Guardian