Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday and was welcomed by President Javier Milei. (Foto: Instagram)
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday, Nov. 8, after concluding a visit to Uruguay, and was welcomed by President Javier Milei. The meeting comes amid tensions over policies adopted by Milei that the Catholic Church has criticized.
Leo reached Buenos Aires at about 4:45 p.m. Brasilia time. He and Milei posed for photographs upon the pope’s arrival before continuing with the pontiff’s official visit. Argentina’s government, based at the Casa Rosada, is closely following the visit and fears it could have political consequences for Milei.
One of the pope’s first stops in Argentina is scheduled to be Cottolengo Don Orione, a Catholic institution in Claypole that houses about 400 people with disabilities. The institution was among those affected by spending cuts under Milei’s government.
The institution says supplies of medication, special food and diapers were interrupted, and that it has received no funding transfers since November 2025. Argentine media have reported that people close to Milei’s administration view the pope’s visit to the facility as an embarrassment for the president.
Before the arrival, Buenos Aires and the Vatican had also faced a protocol dispute. Milei had asked to board the pope’s plane to welcome him, but the Vatican did not grant the request.
Leo XIV was the first pope to visit Uruguay in four decades. While there, he met with officials, including President Yamandú Orsi, and took part in church events. His visit concluded in the city of Florida, north of Montevideo, where he blessed the faithful and attended a Catholic celebration.
