Pope Leo XIV visits disability center in Buenos Aires before large crowd

Pope Leo XIV visited the Cottolengo Don Orione disability center south of Buenos Aires on Monday, marking the first stop of his papal visit to Argentina. The facility houses more than 400 residents with disabilities. Authorities provided the center with approximately $535,000 in funds for medicine, diapers, and food shortly before the visit. This payment covered four of the 12 months of funding that the institution was owed.

The pope spoke to residents and staff about the value of their lives. He stated that a nation's progress is measured by how it welcomes people with specific needs. Residents and staff wept upon his arrival, and he embraced several people in wheelchairs. Fernando Montero, who oversees disability services for the facility, confirmed the recent payment. The Argentine Senate is scheduled to consider legislation in the coming days that would earmark money for disability benefits in the next year's budget.

Following his visit to the center, the pope addressed a gathering of labor and business leaders at the Catholic University of Argentina. The audience included union leaders, industrialists, and informal workers. Informal workers now make up 45% of the labor force, an increase from 41% when President Javier Milei took office. The pope invoked the social justice principles of his predecessor, Pope Francis, by mentioning land, housing, and work.

Leo argued that depriving a person of work wounds their dignity and excludes them from society. He described private property as always being subject to a social mortgage. He warned that unregulated automation and artificial intelligence could put many jobs at risk. The pope called on governments to protect workers, a stance that contrasts with President Milei, who opposes regulating technology while courting AI investment.

Opposition leaders viewed the speech as a critique of the current government's austerity measures. Axel Kicillof, the governor of Buenos Aires province, urged those who had ignored the message to listen. Hugo Godoy, the secretary-general of the Autonomous Argentine Workers' Central, said the speech encouraged workers to keep resisting deteriorating living conditions. Sabrina Soledad Sapone, a union delegate, told the pope that workers are often valued solely for their efficiency despite having families.

President Milei praised the pope's earlier speech to Argentine officials on Sunday. He described that address as outstanding and full of valuable elements. He declined to elaborate on the Monday speech, stating he did not want to use it politically. His government has withheld much of the funding for disability care, a move that prompted protests from Argentine Catholic bishops after Congress passed a law over his veto last year to restore those funds.

The visit concluded with the first papal Mass in Argentina in nearly 40 years at the Monumento a los Españoles. The Vatican estimated that 2.5 million people attended the service. The government declared a national holiday to allow residents to attend. Milei and his sister, Karina Milei, attended the event from VIP seating. In his homily, the pope emphasized the importance of the Christian family in the face of joblessness and violence.

Isabel Martín, 73, attended the Mass with her parish group. She said she was praying for the pope to influence the president regarding the impact of spending cuts on pensioners. The current minimum pension in Argentina is about $300, which is roughly one-quarter of what an older adult needs for basic expenses. Margarita Lanús, who turned 16 on Monday, shared a birthday cake with her family while waiting for the ceremony to begin. She said she appreciated that the pope spoke directly about current issues.