Pope Leo XIV's Argentina Visit Clashes with Milei's Austerity

Pope Leo XIV begins his first full day in Argentina on Monday 9 November at the Cottolengo Don Orione, a Catholic-run home for people with disabilities. The visit, his first to the country since arriving on Sunday, spotlights a profound crisis in social care directly opposing President Javier Milei's libertarian agenda.

Milei received the pope at the airport on Sunday after the pontiff spent a day in Uruguay, the first stop on a 12-day South American tour. The pope's three-day Argentine visit is the first by a pontiff since John Paul II in 1987. His itinerary, which includes a prison, shows a focus on marginalized groups.

Ideological confrontation

Fernando Montero, a coordinator at the disability home, stated that the pope and Milei have completely opposing ideologies. He argued the pope teaches that a person's worth is not measured by productivity, whereas Milei is a 'hyper-capitalist' who believes only those who compete the most should be rewarded. Any mention of defending domestic production, labour, disability or social justice in the pope's rhetoric naturally clashes with the ideology Milei's government promotes.

Milei, a libertarian seen as a close ally of Donald Trump, was known for piling insults on Leo's predecessor, Francis. Despite calling Francis 'an imbecile,' Milei eventually sought to repair relations and visited the late pope at the Vatican. Milei has also strongly supported the Iran war, which Pope Leo has criticized. His austerity program has drawn criticism from the Church for heavily impacting the poorest.

Disability care crisis

Argentina's president Javier Milei has made wide-ranging cuts to disability funding. The coordinator at Cottolengo Don Orione, Fernando Montero, said the government cut off the supply of medications, special foods and diapers. "They haven't delivered any since last November. The matter is in court," he stated.

Jorge Silanes, religious director of the care center, said the visit carried added significance because spending cuts have reduced disability benefits while poverty remains widespread. Argentina's conference of bishops wrote to Health Minister Mario Lugones on 1 April, denouncing the serious situation facing institutions dedicated to disability care. The ministry has met the bishops twice since, in April and again on 5 October, but without resolving the impasse.

Public reaction and broader context

Buenos Aires archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva said Leo XIV would find a divided Argentina and a large number of very poor brothers and sisters. At the weekly retirees' march outside Congress, a man held up a cardboard sign reading 'Save us Pope Leo XIV - Milei is killing us.' The think tank Mate estimates that retirees receiving the minimum pension, 63% of the total, have lost about 30% of their purchasing power.

A majority of Argentines expect a message from the pope focused on the social and humanitarian agenda. Buenos Aires University found 57.7% of Argentines identify as Catholic and 17.4% as evangelical, compared with 76.5% and 9% nearly 20 years ago. Although Catholicism remains Argentina's majority religion, it has lost its cultural hegemony. Annual inflation has dropped from over 200 per cent to 33 per cent under Milei's administration.

AI and technological policy

A clear contradiction exists on technology policy. In May, Leo XIV called for 'disarming' artificial intelligence. Milei has said he would not regulate AI technology and has presented bills to build datacentres across the country and to grant legal status to 'no-human corporations'.

Sociologist and computer scientist Milagros Miceli, who leads the Critical AI Lab in Berlin, called the contradiction between them 'pretty evident'. Milei has advocated for AI growth and stated his ambition to transform Argentina into a major destination for data centres. Federico Sturzenegger, a minister in charge of state cuts, says he has used AI to draft legislation.

Juan Grabois, a left-wing Peronist deputy and former Vatican official, said the idea of absolute deregulation is at the heart of the president's agenda, and the replacement of the human element with algorithmic power has become a policy priority. Pope Leo said those who exercise authority have a duty to act with prudence and direct decisions toward the good of the entire community.

From the disability home, the pope will go on to Buenos Aires and meet business and union leaders. On Tuesday he will celebrate Mass at the grounds of FAdeA, the state-owned military aircraft factory in Cordoba, whose workers have protested against Milei's cuts. The pope, who is 71 and underwent lung cancer surgery less than a month ago, will finish his tour with six days in Peru. His first stop in Argentina remains the Cottolengo Don Orione home, a symbolic opening highlighting those pushed to the margins.