Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday after completing a visit to Uruguay, where he marked a Catholic feast day tied to that country's independence. This visit is the first papal trip to Argentina since 1987, and the first by a pontiff to the homeland of the late Pope Francis in nearly four decades.
The trip is the most politically delicate leg of Leo's three-nation South American tour, occurring amid tensions between the Catholic Church's commitment to social justice and the libertarian leadership of President Javier Milei. Despite having famously insulted the pro-poor teachings of Pope Francis, President Milei greeted Pope Leo at the foot of his plane.
Pope Leo faces calls to help bridge divisions following three years of austerity under the current administration. In Buenos Aires, the working-class neighborhoods of Ciudad Papa Francisco have emerged as a symbol of the Church's opposition to the president's far-right libertarian policies. The visit also sees the pontiff confront the complicated legacy of the late Pope Francis, who never returned to his home country during his 12-year pontificate.