The Pope arrives in an Argentina where bishops are among Milei’s firmest critics

Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in Buenos Aires on Sunday for a visit that Javier Milei’s administration describes as purely pastoral, but which occurs amidst friction with Argentina’s Catholic Church, a prominent critic of the president’s austerity measures. The pontiff’s journey will commence in Uruguay on Friday, progress through Argentina from November 8 to 11, and culminate in Peru.

Presidential chief of staff Karina Milei, who negotiated with the Church and Vatican, has emphasized that "the Pope belongs to all Argentines, not to a political party or a political color." The Bishops' Conference maintains that this is "an apostolic tour" and insists it should not be politicized. Security estimates anticipate a massive turnout of approximately 7 million individuals in Buenos Aires, Claypole, Luján, and Córdoba—a feat deemed the largest operation in the country’s history by Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva.

The underlying discord is well-documented. Pope Leo XIV has positioned social justice as the cornerstone of his papacy, whereas Milei has labeled it as "an aberration." According to research by sociologist Sol Prieto from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (Conicet) using Argentine Bishops’ Conference publications from January 2024 to September 2026, 95% of the 44 references to public policy take a critical stance on various issues, including social conditions, environmental concerns, institutional efficacy, juvenile justice reform, and restrictions on migrants' rights.

Recently, Milei questioned the assertion that many Argentines struggle to make ends meet, to which Marcelo Colombo, president of the Bishops’ Conference, responded, "That people cannot make ends meet is a fact of reality, not something that needs to be proven." Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires has suggested that the Pope will encounter a "wounded Argentina."

The researcher Fortunato Mallimaci notes that the relationship between most Argentine bishops and Milei’s government is characterized by "a very strong aversion," with abortion being one of the few areas of consensus.

For the government, two events are particularly challenging: a scheduled meeting with trade unionists, business leaders, and social movements at the Catholic University of Argentina, and a visit to the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a facility for individuals with disabilities, a sector significantly impacted by government spending cuts. The appointment of Vice President Victoria Villarruel, who has fallen out with Milei, to official functions remains uncertain.