Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit to Uruguay on Sunday with a mass in Florida attended by an estimated 50,000 people, where he praised women for preserving the Catholic faith and called on men to treat their wives with respect. He then departed for Argentina, landing in Buenos Aires to a welcome from President Javier Milei, a leader whose austerity policies have drawn criticism from the Church.
The Mass, held on the forecourt of the Cathedral of Florida, marked the feast day of the Virgin of the Thirty-three. The city has a population of about 40,000, but the Vatican estimated 50,000 people were attending the service.
The visit was the first by a pontiff to Uruguay in nearly four decades. The country is considered Latin America's most secular, a theme the Pope addressed directly. "Live our faith with courage, not be afraid to say: I am a Christian, I am a Catholic, I believe in Jesus Christ," he told the crowd.
The Pope's homily addressed the role of women. He spoke about the challenge of passing on the faith. “You taught your children to pray, and today they no longer do so. You used to attend Mass together, and it has been years since they entered a church,” he said. He urged them not to despair: “Mothers and grandmothers: never tire of passing on the faith!” He also addressed gender-based violence, noting that Latin America has recorded nearly 20,000 femicides in the last five years, most committed by the victim's current or former partner.
The Pope also said he was “deeply saddened” by the attack in Krakow. Later on Sunday evening, he landed in Buenos Aires.
In Argentina, he was received at the Casa Rosada by President Javier Milei. The visit is not without political controversy. The Catholic Church has criticised Milei's austerity measures, which have slashed social spending, and his embrace of artificial intelligence. Milei, who has staked his presidency on cutting social spending to deliver a budget surplus, has described social justice as “an aberration” and mocked as “huge stupidity” the complaint that families cannot make ends meet under his program. For Argentine Catholics, the visit holds deep spiritual significance.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Pope's direct appeal to women and his remarks on femicide place the Vatican at the heart of a major social crisis in Latin America, challenging both cultural norms and government policy on gender violence.
- The visit to Argentina sets up a direct confrontation between the Vatican's social teachings and President Milei's libertarian economic agenda, a clash with implications for the region's political direction.
- The trip reinforces the continuity of Pope Francis's legacy while adapting the Church's message to an increasingly secular continent.
Background
Pope Leo XIV succeeded Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, who died in 2025. The current trip aims to reconnect with the Church's roots in the region and address its declining influence in secular states like Uruguay.
Argentina is in a severe economic crisis, with President Milei implementing drastic austerity measures to curb inflation and balance the budget, policies that have drawn strong criticism from the Catholic Church for their impact on the poor.
Key Perspectives
Pope Leo XIV: Stressed the importance of passing on the Catholic faith despite secularization, condemned gender-based violence, and called on the faithful to "live our faith with courage."
President Javier Milei: Has characterized social justice as "an aberration" and criticized complaints about his austerity program as "huge stupidity," creating significant friction with the Church's social doctrine.
The Catholic Church: Has explicitly criticized Milei's austerity measures and his embrace of artificial intelligence, setting a tense stage for the papal visit.
What to Watch
- Whether the Pope will publicly challenge President Milei's austerity policies during his stay in Argentina.
- The impact of the Pope's femicide remarks on public discourse and potential policy responses in Argentina and across Latin America.
- How the Argentine public, particularly devout Catholics hit by the economic crisis, reacts to the Pope's message in contrast to Milei's agenda.