President Milei Welcomes Pope Leo XIV During Historic Visit to Argentina

Por fin, un León que une, read banners across Buenos Aires on November 8, 2026, as Pope Leo XIV touched down at Jorge Newbery airport to begin a historic apostolic journey to Argentina.

The arrival marks the first papal visit to the country in nearly four decades, following Pope John Paul II’s 1987 trip. President Javier Milei received the pontiff at the foot of the aircraft at 16:33 when flight 1091 of Aerolíneas Argentinas from Montevideo landed at Jorge Newbery International Airport.

Following the protocol greeting, the Regimiento de Artillería 1 Brigadier General Iriarte de los Granaderos played the Argentine national anthem. Milei and the pontiff walked the red carpet together, with the president presenting his sister, Secretary General of the Presidency Karina Milei, before bishops welcomed the pope.

The designated aircraft for the pontiff’s domestic travel is a Boeing 737 MAX 8 bearing registration LV-KKD, operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas. Accommodating 170 passengers with a range of approximately 6,500 kilometers, the plane features special livery with the official papal coat of arms, the inscription Pontifex Maximus, and the Latin motto In Illo Uno Unum.

Inside the cabin, an image of the Virgen de Luján, patroness of Argentina, alongside customized headrests bearing the papal crest, completed the visual identity of the aircraft.

President Milei Welcomes Pope Leo at Casa Rosada

Following the tarmac welcome and an honor guard, the leaders moved to the Casa Rosada presidential palace for official ceremonies and meetings. The encounter unfolded against a backdrop of deep political and economic friction, as the Catholic Church has strongly criticized Milei’s austerity measures that slashed social spending and safety-net programs for the poor.

Milei has staked his presidency on cutting social spending to reform Argentina’s troubled economy, reduce bureaucracy, eliminate fraud and waste, and achieve a long-elusive budget surplus while bringing inflation under control. Alongside these efforts, the government has sought to attract investments in artificial intelligence and data centers with promises of limited regulation.

Official data indicates that Argentina’s health budget was cut by 48% since Milei took office in December 2023, and public universities have faced severe spending cuts that brought protesting students into the streets.

Pope Leo Delivers Economic Address

Pope Leo addressed the nation’s socioeconomic challenges directly.

The economy must serve the person,

Pope Leo XIV

He was strongly applauded when he pleaded for managing the economy in a way that benefits all citizens, pointing to those who struggle to meet household needs despite hard work. He also called for greater state investment in education and vocational training, questioning where a nation fails when young people must leave their homeland to pursue their dreams.

The pontiff emphasized that the country's democracy is a part of Argentina's heritage that needs safeguarding, while urging civil leaders to protect the unborn and engage in respectful dialogue across political divides.

Beginning his 12-day, three-country tour of Latin America after spending three days in Uruguay commemorating the feast of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, the 71-year-old pontiff appeared as a religious leader.

Shifting Religious Demographics in Argentina

Although Catholics comprise the largest religious group in the region with as many as 425 million people identifying with the church, overall membership has declined over the last decade.

A Pew Research Center survey revealed that self-identifying Catholics in Argentina slipped from 71 percent in the 2013-2014 period down to 58 percent a decade later.

Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, Francis was the first pope from the Americas but never visited his home country as head of the Catholic Church before his death in 2025. Francis and Milei shared a notably contentious relationship during the president’s campaign, when Milei labeled the late pontiff a communist and an imbecile who defends social justice.

Commenting on the historic nature of the current journey, Reverend Lorenzo “Toto” de Vedia, who works in a poor Buenos Aires neighborhood, remarked, Leo is going to make the visit that Francis never did. Jorge Silanes, religious director at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione home for people with disabilities in Buenos Aires province, added, Without a doubt, it gives us great joy that this pope is visiting us.

Remaining Schedule Across Argentina

Pope Leo’s itinerary continues past his initial welcome in Buenos Aires. On November 9, his schedule includes meeting with social movements at the Catholic University of Argentina, religious leaders at the Palacio San Martín, and the local Catholic community at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires. His 12-day apostolic journey to Argentina and Peru runs from November 6 to November 17, featuring events across multiple locations before he departs for Peru.

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