Pope Leo XIV is visiting Argentina, where he celebrated Mass in Buenos Aires before crowds that turned out in the thousands, according to Yahoo. During the trip, the pope delivered what The Washington Post described as a veiled rebuke of austerity measures in the homeland of his predecessor.
The New York Times reported that the pope told President Javier Milei that the economy must serve the needy. The Washington Post characterized the remarks as an implicit criticism of austerity policies. The Wall Street Journal framed the encounter as a meeting between a missionary pope and a chainsaw-wielding populist.
The pope also visited a care home in Argentina for people with disabilities, where he renewed his call to protect the vulnerable, PBS reported. The visit to the facility came alongside the public Mass and the meeting with Milei.
The trip places the pope in the country that produced his predecessor, and his remarks on economic policy were read by several outlets as pointed. The Washington Post's framing of a "veiled rebuke" indicates the pope did not name specific measures directly, while The New York Times reported his message that economic policy should be oriented toward those in need.
What to watch next: whether the Vatican or the Argentine government offers any further response to the pope's remarks on austerity, and how the visit is received domestically.