Pope Leo XIV began a four-day visit to Argentina on Sunday, meeting President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires in the first papal trip to the country in 39 years. The visit carries particular symbolism in the homeland of Pope Francis, who did not return to Argentina during his 12-year pontificate.¹

From the government-facing account, the day emphasized ceremony, reconciliation and the significance of Francis’s legacy. Milei received Leo personally, joined him at an official welcome, and later met him privately. In a nationally televised address, the president called Jorge Mario Bergoglio “the most important Argentine in history” and said Francis remained “immortal in heaven, but also on earth.”² Milei also welcomed the attendance of political representatives across the spectrum, arguing that some matters rise above political differences.²

The pope’s own public message, as described by both accounts, broadened the focus beyond the ceremony. Leo said political authorities should govern for the population’s benefit, respect democratic institutions and recognize the limits of political power. He also argued that economic growth should reach the whole of society, including people in vulnerable circumstances.²

That emphasis is central to criticism reported from the Argentine Church and its supporters. The church has objected to treating essential social services as merely a burden on public finances, amid Milei’s reductions affecting public hospitals, universities, scientific research, culture and pensions.¹ Milei’s administration, by contrast, has defended shrinking the welfare state as necessary to revive the economy and curb inflation. Poverty had risen to 32.3% in September, though Argentines have also approved of falling inflation, according to the report.¹

Leo’s itinerary may reinforce his social emphasis: it includes visits with older people, people with disabilities and prisoners, as well as Masses and meetings with workers and religious leaders. The trip therefore presents both a shared tribute to Argentina’s papal history and a quieter test of how its current economic choices affect those most exposed to hardship.¹