Church leader traveling: Pope Leo calls for more consideration for the weak in Argentina

Pope Leo XIV is on a three-day visit to Argentina. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/Pool AFP/AP/dpa

Buenos Aires. At the start of a visit to Argentina, Pope Leo XIV warned that poor and weak groups in society should be given more consideration. “At home we are taught to care for the weak, to forgive, to share and to assist those who need help,” said the head of the Catholic Church upon his arrival in Buenos Aires. This also applies to society as a whole.

“The economy must be at the service of man, and not man at the service of the economy,” the pope said. Economic growth must also reach those “who are struggling with greater difficulties”.

In Argentina, the radical market president Javier Milei has been in government since 2023, who was elected with the promise of “chainsaw politics”. His core goals are: reducing the bloated state apparatus and spending, cutting civil service positions, cutting subsidies, and winding down social programs. Inflation has fallen massively since then and the economy is growing again. However, there is a lot of criticism about the social hardships that come with it.

According to official statistics, a third of the population in the country of 46 million people is considered poor. Argentina is also suffering from a wave of emigration.

Pope refers to families in need

Milei personally welcomed the Pope at the capital's airport. After a meeting in the presidential palace, Leo made the comments in a speech to representatives from politics, religion and civil society. In his appeal, he particularly referred to families in need. In the presence of Milei, he added: “Whoever has power also has a duty to act prudently, to recognize the limits of the power entrusted to him and to base his decisions on the well-being of the entire community.”

Regarding the exodus of young Argentines in particular who see their future in European countries such as Spain or Italy, the Pope said: "A nation must seriously ask itself where it has failed if its young people have to leave their homeland in order to be able to realize their dreams." Education and vocational training need to be strengthened. At the same time, he called for decisive action against organized crime, human trafficking and corruption.

Milei focuses on freedom

Milei focused his speech on the concept of freedom, which in the Catholic tradition is already enshrined in the Bible. The right to life, liberty and property forms the backbone of the Argentine constitution and all western democracies, said the libertarian president.

The number of Catholics is also decreasing in Argentina

Leo is staying in Argentina until Wednesday as part of a trip to South America. The last visit by a pope up to that point was in 1987 under John Paul II - almost four decades ago. Leo's late predecessor Francis, who was born in the capital Buenos Aires, never returned to his homeland after his election as pope. It is assumed that he did not want to be involved in local politics.

The number of people who profess the Catholic Church has also decreased significantly in Argentina. It is estimated that around half of the population is still religious.