Pope Leo Tells Milei Leaders Must Respect Limits of Power
On the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly 40 years, the pope urged care for the poor and respect for people who disagree. Milei used his own speech to defend his policies.
BUENOS AIRES, Nov 9 – Pope Leo told Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday that leaders have to know the limits of their power, and he asked Argentines to look after their democracy, on the first day of a visit that many people here had been waiting for since the 1980s.
No pope has been to Argentina since 1987.
Leo gave the speech at the Palacio Libertad, a cultural center in the capital, to a room full of officials, diplomats and church figures. Milei, who is a close ally of United States President Donald Trump, was there to welcome him, and the two had met in private a few hours earlier.
The pope said that power works best when it is used to serve people. He told the room that those in charge have a duty to be careful, to accept that the power they hold has limits, and to make decisions for the good of everyone.
People clapped for so long after that line that he had to read it a second time.
He also said that democracy is an essential part of Argentina’s history and must be protected. In his view, it grows stronger when people take the time to seek common ground and treat those with different views as fellow citizens who share a common future.
“Authority is most authentic when it is exercised as service,” Leo said.
He did not mention Milei’s spending cuts by name. But he did say that plans to grow the economy should not land hardest on the poor, and that the gains should also reach people who are struggling. That part of the speech drew strong applause too. He said the economy should serve people, and not the other way around.
The Catholic Church in Argentina has been critical of Milei’s austerity program, saying it has hit the poorest people the most. Milei won the presidency in 2023 after campaigning with a chainsaw, which he used as a symbol of the deep cuts he planned to make to state spending.
He has said those cuts are the only way to bring inflation under control, and annual inflation has dropped from more than 200% to 33% since he took office. At the same time, subsidies have been cut, many public sector workers have lost their jobs, and some businesses have closed. Benefits for disabled people were also reduced. Polls show his support has slipped, and he has said he will run for a second term next year.
His critics also accuse him of damaging democracy with divisive language and attacks on journalists.
In his own address, Milei reaffirmed his libertarian principles. He said that the rights to life, liberty, and property form the foundation of Argentina’s constitution and of Western democracies. He also thanked the pope for bringing together people from across the political spectrum.
Leo also addressed technology, another key priority for Milei. The president has said he wants Argentina to become a major destination for data centers, and they should use technology ethically.
He has previously warned that artificial intelligence could lead the world toward endless conflict.
Leo is the first pope born in the United States, and he has had a difficult relationship with Trump. Earlier this year, he spoke out against the Iran war, which Milei strongly supports. Last week, he cast a mail-in ballot in the United States midterm elections, which no pope had done before.
Large crowds gathered along the road from the airport to the city center on Sunday, waving Vatican and Argentine flags. Claudia Sona, who came from the northern province of Salta, said the visit meant a great deal after so many years.
“For Catholics, and I think for non-Catholics, this is a rebirth,” she said.
Argentine officials expect around 7 million people to see the pope while he is in the country.
Leo, who is 71, had lung surgery less than a month ago, but he is still making one of the busiest foreign trips by a pope in decades. The tour covers three countries and 50 events. He started in Uruguay, will stay in Argentina until Wednesday, and then fly to Peru, where he worked for many years as a missionary and became a citizen. The trip ends on November 17.
During his time in Argentina, he will visit four cities. His stops include a prison and a care center for people with disabilities that has been affected by the cuts.
Milei once insulted Leo’s predecessor, Francis, who was Argentine but never came home during his 12 years as pope. Milei later tried to repair the relationship and visited Francis at the Vatican. On Sunday, he spoke warmly about the late pope and called him an inspiring and generous man.
“Without a doubt the most important Argentine in history,” Milei said.
