Calls for unity as Pope Leo visits divided Argentina

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires from Uruguay on Sunday, greeted by calls for unity amid deep divisions in Argentina following three years of austerity under President Javier Milei. The Pope's visit marks the first by a pontiff to the late Pope Francis' homeland in nearly four decades and is seen as a potential unifier for a country bitterly divided between supporters and opponents of Milei.

Milei, known for his insults towards Francis, greeted the Pope at the foot of his plane. Many Argentines, including retired teacher Liliana Deblauwe and housewife María Verónica Panza, expressed hope that the Pope would bring peace, unity, and criticize Milei. Leo is expected to speak out for the vulnerable during his four-day visit, which includes visits to a home for disabled people and a prison, and three open-air masses, with the Church anticipating a total of seven million faithful attending.

Milei's cost-cutting measures have increased poverty to 32.3 percent recently, and the Church has criticized his treatment of key social services as budgetary constraints.