Pope Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires on Nov. 8, where President Javier Milei welcomed him for an official visit. (Foto: Instagram)
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday, Nov. 8, after concluding his visit to Uruguay, and was welcomed by President Javier Milei. The meeting comes amid tensions over Milei administration policies that have drawn criticism from the Catholic Church. The pope landed in Buenos Aires at about 4:45 p.m. Brasília time. He and Milei posed for photographs before proceeding with the pontiff’s official visit.
Argentina’s presidential office, the Casa Rosada, is closely monitoring the visit and is concerned it could carry political costs for Milei. One of the pope’s first stops is scheduled to be Cottolengo Don Orione, a Catholic institution in Claypole that houses about 400 people with disabilities. The institution was affected by spending cuts under Milei’s administration.
The institution says supplies of medicines, special foods and diapers were interrupted, and that it has received no 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 pope arrived, Buenos Aires and the Vatican also faced a protocol dispute: Milei wanted to board the papal plane to welcome him, but the Vatican did not grant the request.
Before arriving in Argentina, Leo XIV became the first pope to visit Uruguay in four decades. He met with officials, including President Yamandú Orsi, and took part in church events. The Uruguay visit concluded in the city of Florida, north of Montevideo, where the pope blessed worshippers and attended a Catholic celebration.
