// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Pope delivers veiled rebuke of Milei's austerity measures
Pope Leo XIV and President Javier Milei greet each other during the pope's visit to Argentina
Pope Leo XIV has said Argentina's economy must benefit everyone including the poor, in a diplomatic but pointed critique of President Javier Milei's austerity measures.
The Pope was speaking as he arrived in Buenos Aires, the second stop on a 12-day tour of Latin America, only three weeks after having had surgery for lung cancer.
In response, right-wing leader Milei said his government was working to avoid "punishing the Argentines of tomorrow in order to benefit the Argentines of today".
This leg of the Pope's journey was expected be the most politically sensitive, with the president's agenda of slashing public spending having been denounced by the Catholic Church for hitting the poorest hardest.
"The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy," Pope Leo said.
He stressed the plight of those who, "despite hard work, nonetheless struggle to meet their household's needs", and urged that "particular concern be shown for those affected by illness, dependency and disability" - a veiled reference to the government's controversial cuts to disability assistance.
In what appeared to be a rebuke of Milei's combative style and language, the Pope said strengthening democracy required a "willingness to listen" and the "careful use of words".
Milei had been particularly outspoken about Leo's predecessor Pope Francis, whom he called "evil on earth" and a "communist" for promoting a doctrine of social justice to help the poor.
On Sunday, however, Milei struck a conciliatory tone, calling Francis an "exceptional figure" and "undoubtedly the most important Argentine in history".