Pope Leo XIV Heads to Argentina for Tense Meeting With President Milei

Pope Leo XIV is traveling from Uruguay to Argentina on Sunday, heading toward what is expected to be the most politically delicate stop of his three-nation South American tour. The pontiff will meet President Javier Milei at the Buenos Aires airport, an encounter that marks the second leg of a trip complicated by the church's sharp criticisms of the libertarian leader's austerity program.

Leo wraps up his first stop in Uruguay by commemorating the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three in Florida, a city north of Montevideo. The holiday honors the 33 independence patriots who carried a Guaraní statue of the Virgin Mary when Uruguay declared independence from the Brazilian empire on Aug. 25, 1825. Thousands of pilgrims gather in the city to pray before the small wooden icon.

The visit is the first by a pope to Uruguay in nearly 40 years. Leo aims to remind a deeply secular nation that the Catholic Church is woven into its national identity. He has maintained a high energy level throughout the trip, singing loudly and greeting crowds in his popemobile without cutting events short, despite undergoing lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13.

The trip continues to Peru, Leo’s second homeland, after the Argentina leg. Luis Bahamondes, a professor at the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Chile, said the visit reinforces Leo’s image as a political leader who does not shy away from conflict. Bahamondes noted that the pope commands a highly respected voice and offers a powerful perspective in moments of tension.

Tensions between the Vatican and Milei’s government have grown over recent months. Since taking office in December 2023, Milei has slashed Argentina’s health care budget by 48% in real terms. The administration has also planned cuts to the public university system, a move that sent students into the streets. Argentine church leaders have criticized the government for prioritizing economic orthodoxy over the needs of the poor.

Official data shows that poverty in Argentina reached 32.3% of the population during the first half of 2026, affecting about 15 million people. The Milei government has described these measures as necessary reforms to fix the troubled economy and eliminate fraud and waste in the federal bureaucracy. The administration has also courted investment in artificial intelligence and data centers by promising limited regulation.

Leo has previously warned about the threats posed by the AI race to humanity and the environment, calling for strict, internationally policed safeguards. This stance contrasts with Milei’s embrace of the technology, adding another layer of potential friction to their scheduled meeting.

The Argentine leg of the tour also serves to complete unfinished business left by Pope Francis. The late Argentine pope never returned to his home country during his 12-year pontificate, a decision that confounded both friends and foes. David Lantigua, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, said there is significant disagreement over Francis’s legacy in Argentina.

Much of the debate stems from Francis’s tenure as the archbishop of Buenos Aires. The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a slum priest who advocated for the poorest and most marginalized sectors of society. These groups have felt the impact of Milei’s social spending cuts most acutely. Lantigua expects to see similar tensions during Leo’s visit, describing the ministry of the poor as the legacy Francis left behind.

Leo, who served as a missionary priest in Peru for two decades, mirrors the pastoral style of his predecessor. He owes his election to the late pope and now stands before a nation divided over how to balance economic reform with social protection.