The key facts
- Leo XIV visited the Cottolengo Don Orione center, home to more than 400 people with disabilities, which has accumulated debts of hundreds of thousands of euros
- The pontiff stated that a nation's progress is measured by its treatment of people with special needs
- The visit coincided with the Senate preparing to consider a bill protecting funding for disability benefits, which Milei opposes
A visit to the 'city of mercy'
On Monday, November 9, 2026, Pope Leo XIV, on the first full day of his visit to Argentina, called on the country to protect its most vulnerable people, placing people with disabilities at the center of his message. The pontiff visited the Cottolengo Don Orione center in Claypole, south of Buenos Aires — an institution founded in 1935 by an Italian priest and known as the 'city of mercy.' On its 50-hectare grounds live more than 400 people with disabilities, reports euronews.
A message amid spending cuts
The choice of location for the visit was no accident: the center has suffered from the consequences of cuts to healthcare and social services under Javier Milei's government, including difficulties in funding specialized therapy programs. According to the outlet, centers like Cottolengo have accumulated debts amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros, and austerity measures have affected therapy programs that have been vital for decades to the roughly five million people with disabilities living in Argentina. During the visit, Leo XIV embraced residents of the center in wheelchairs, spoke with them and blessed them; addressing them, he said that their lives are a blessing, not a burden on society. In the center's chapel, he stated: 'A nation's progress is also measured by how it embraces all people with disabilities and special needs.'
Conflict over funding
The pontiff's message came amid tension between the Argentine government and organizations working in the field of disability. Last year, Congress overrode Milei's veto of a law increasing funding for this sector, but the executive branch is resisting its implementation, arguing that it could jeopardize the fiscal balance achieved. The government defends cuts to programs for people with disabilities as part of a reform aimed at eliminating fraud and wasteful spending in the federal administration. The pope's visit took place just days before the Senate is to consider a bill to reserve funds in next year's budget for disability benefits; Milei opposes this initiative. Cuilen Rolón Rey, a volunteer at the center, noted how significant it is that Leo XIV began his tour of Argentina with this very institution: 'The people here deserve this grace.'
Meetings with business and unions
After visiting the center, Leo XIV was scheduled to meet at the Catholic University of Argentina with business representatives, union leaders and leaders of popular movements — in line with Catholic social teaching, which places the weakest at the center of economic decisions. This line echoes the legacy of Pope Francis, an Argentine by birth. Already on Sunday, in Milei's presence, Leo XIV recalled one of his predecessor's oft-repeated ideas: 'The economy must serve the person, not the person the economy.' Participation was expected from representatives of national producers, who have suffered from the influx of cheap imports after Milei lifted years-long trade restrictions, as well as members of Argentina's main trade union confederation, who in September conveyed to the Vatican their concerns about job losses and falling wages. Milei, who came to power at the end of 2023, is carrying out a broad austerity program that has made him one of the prominent figures of the international conservative movement.
