Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Argentina Following Mass in Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires on Sunday evening to begin his visit to Argentina, where he was received at the Casa Rosada by President Javier Milei. The arrival followed the conclusion of his tour in neighbouring Uruguay, where he held his final public events in the city of Florida earlier in the day.

The pontiff's schedule in Argentina begins amidst ongoing debate regarding the administration's economic direction. The Catholic Church has previously expressed criticism of President Milei's austerity program, which implemented cuts to social spending in an effort to overhaul the national economy and achieve a budget surplus. President Milei has defended his economic policies, characterising concepts of social justice as an aberration and rejecting criticisms regarding the financial pressure placed on families.

For Catholic believers in Argentina, the visit holds spiritual significance as Pope Leo XIV follows the path of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Pope Francis led the Roman Catholic Church until his death on Easter Monday in 2025.

Before departing for Buenos Aires, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass outside the Cathedral of Florida to mark the local feast day of the Virgin of the Thirty-three. The service gathered at least 50,000 worshippers, marking the first visit by a pope to Uruguay in nearly four decades. Addressing the crowd in Latin America’s most secular country, the pontiff praised mothers and grandmothers for passing on the Catholic faith to younger generations and called on attendees to live their faith openly.

During his homily in Florida, the Pope also addressed regional social issues, raising awareness about gender-based violence. He noted that nearly 20,000 femicides were recorded in Latin America over the past five years, with the majority committed by current or former partners, and urged men to treat their wives with respect. The pontiff added during his address that he was deeply saddened by a recent attack in Krakow.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter christiane.hofreiter@alpineweekly.com