Pope Leo Visits Argentina, Calls on Milei to Protect Democracy
WHO:
CNN - Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago.
The Guardian - Leo said he was “retracing” Pope Francis’s steps.
CNN - Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, called on Argentine President Javier Milei and political leaders to “safeguard democracy” and use words carefully.
CNN - Milei has received strong backing from US President Donald Trump; Leo has publicly disagreed with Trump, particularly over the treatment of migrants and the war in Iran.
CNN - Mayor Jorge Macri presented Leo with the keys to Buenos Aires.
CNN - Milei previously insulted Pope Francis, calling him an “imbecile,” “the representative of the evil one on earth” and “a sh*t of a pope”; he later apologized and called Francis “the most important Argentine in history.”
The Guardian - Leo, 71, said he was “retracing” Francis’s steps. Argentines interviewed included retired teacher Liliana Deblauwe, 68, and job seeker Brian Inacio Rodriguez, 26.
IJR - The Catholic Church says Milei’s austerity policies have harmed poor people.
WHAT:
CNN - Leo said Argentina had an “abundance of human resources” and urged that its “wealth bear fruit for the benefit of all.”
CNN - Milei and Pope Francis met at the Vatican in February 2024. Francis joked, “you cut your hair!”; Milei replied that he had “tidied it up.” Milei’s unruly hairstyle had earned him the nickname “The Wig.”
The Guardian - In Uruguay, Leo condemned drug violence and urged an end to child poverty.
The Guardian - Leo underwent surgery for lung cancer three weeks before the article’s report.
The Guardian - Milei has been criticized for restricting the right to protest; he maintains a loyal supporter base for drastically reducing inflation.
CNN - Leo cast a mail-in ballot during the US mid-term elections.
CNN - Leo urged leaders to protect democracy through listening, “careful use of words,” seeking agreement, respecting the law, and recognizing limits on their power. He said authority should serve and promote “the welfare of all.”
The Guardian - Leo criticized austerity, saying, “The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy.” He called for concern for poor people, pensioners, and those affected by illness, dependency and disability.
IJR - A disability-care facility said government cuts halted supplies of medication, special food and diapers.
The Guardian - Leo said corruption undermines citizens’ confidence in institutions. The Church expected 7 million people at the visit’s events.
WHERE:
CNN - Leo and Milei previously met at the Vatican.
CNN - Leo met Milei and addressed politicians, civic society members and diplomats at Palacio Libertad in Buenos Aires; he was also received at the Casa Rosada.
The Guardian - Leo arrived in Buenos Aires from Uruguay and laid a wreath at Plaza San Martin. Planned stops included a disability home and a prison.
WHEN:
CNN - Leo’s Argentina visit was the first papal visit there in almost four decades; Francis did not visit during his 12-year papacy.
IJR - The previous papal visit was in 1987.
WHY:
The Guardian - Argentina’s papal visit was also intended to test support for the Church, amid a decline in Catholic identification.
CNN - The visit followed welfare-spending cuts under Milei’s austerity measures and concerns about attacks on the press, divisive rhetoric and difficulty securing bipartisan agreements.
The Guardian - The visit was intended to boost faith in Argentina and came amid deep divisions over Milei; a University of Buenos Aires poll found 57.7% identified as Catholic, down from about 90% in the 1960s.
HOW:
CNN - Applause interrupted Leo after he began a sentence about the duties of people exercising authority, prompting him to repeat it.
CNN - Leo called for democracy to be protected through the ballot box, freely expressed convictions and institutions serving all parties.
The Guardian - Milei sought to reduce inflation by shrinking the welfare state, targeting public hospitals, universities and pensioners; poverty reached 32.3% in September.
(UPDATED November 9, 2026 07:02 UTC)
Pope Leo urged Argentina’s President Milei and other leaders to safeguard democracy and choose words carefully. He also criticized austerity, calling for an economy that serves people, especially the poor. Leo’s visit highlights divisions over Milei’s spending cuts and declining Catholic identification across Argentina.
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(UPDATED November 9, 2026 03:59 UTC)
Pope Leo XIV urged Argentina’s President Javier Milei to safeguard democracy and choose words carefully. He criticized austerity, saying the economy must serve people, especially the poor. In Buenos Aires, Leo met Milei and called for respect for institutions.