On his first day in Argentina, Pope Leo XIV spoke about crime, economic inequality and political polarisation, among other topics, in a wide-ranging speech to President Javier Milei and other dignitaries. Source: EWTN News.
Mr Milei is a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” whose policies of austerity have drawn criticism from Argentina’s Catholic bishops.
Though Pope Leo did not directly criticise Mr Milei, his speech was the most political he has given so far on his tour of South America, which began on Friday in Uruguay and will conclude on November 16 in Peru.
The Pope opened by stating that he had come to Argentina “as a pastor” but that the Church wishes “to propose to those who hold public office a message inspired by the Gospel and aimed at safeguarding the dignity of every person, civic concord, and the common good”.
Leo highlighted several widespread social problems, including public safety. “Organised crime, human trafficking networks, arms, and drug trafficking together with corruption all undermine social cohesion, fuel violence, and divert resources necessary for the common good,” the Pope said.
Violent crime is an urgent concern across the region. According to a United Nations report, the homicide rate for Latin America and the Caribbean was the world’s highest in 2023, and nearly four times the world average.
Addressing the question of inequality, the Pope said that efforts should be made to ensure “that economic growth also benefits those who are disadvantaged. Here I think of families facing an uncertain future, the unemployed, the elderly who for years contributed to society, and all those who, despite hard work, nonetheless struggle to meet their household’s needs.”
Leo pointed to the plight of young people driven to emigrate in search of opportunities. “A nation must seriously ask itself where it has failed when its young people have to leave their homeland in order to make their dreams come true,” he said.
He also addressed what he described as a threat to democracy from political polarisation, a widely noted trend in Latin America and beyond.
Mr Milei campaigned for president as a firebrand, wielding a chainsaw to show what he would do to government budgets and deriding his fellow Argentine Pope Francis as, among other things, a “filthy leftist,” though he later said he apologised personally to Francis.
On Sunday, speaking right before the current Pope, the president lauded the late pontiff as “an exceptional figure who inspired us all with his humanity, regardless of our creed. A person of immense generosity, whom I had the honour of knowing personally.”
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In Argentina, Pope Leo XIV highlights social problems (By Francis X Rocca, EWTN News)
