Argentines pray that Pope Leo’s visit alleviates their economic stress

Pope Leo XIV will visit Argentina in November for the first time in nearly 40 years, with many Argentine Catholics viewing the papal trip as a spiritual intervention amid severe economic hardship under President Javier Milei's austerity measures. Since December 2023, Milei's policies have slowed inflation and reduced the fiscal deficit but have driven millions into debt through declining wages, rising costs for food and utilities, and cuts to health and education. The Buenos Aires archdiocese has positioned the visit as a counterpoint to libertarian economic policies, with Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva stating that "economic freedom cannot be absolute" and must serve human dignity and the common good.