# Pope Leo wraps Uruguay, heads to tense Argentina visit

> Pope Leo XIV ends his Uruguay leg by praising mothers who kept the faith alive, then faces a politically fraught meeting with libertarian President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires.
- Title: Pope Leo wraps Uruguay, heads to tense Argentina visit · NPR
- Summary: Pope Leo XIV ends his Uruguay leg by praising mothers who kept the faith alive, then faces a politically fraught meeting with libertarian President Javier…
- Keywords: pope leo xiv, uruguay, argentina, javier milei, catholic church, austerity, south america tour, virgin of the thirty-three, buenos aires, papal visit, NPR
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/11/08/nx-s1-6033992/after-a-successful-trip-to-uruguay-pope-leo-heads-to-argentina
- Published: 2026-11-08T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: pope leo xiv, uruguay, argentina, javier milei, catholic church, austerity, south america tour, virgin of the thirty-three, buenos aires, papal visit, news
## Pope wraps Uruguay with feast day Mass
Pope Leo the fourteenth celebrated the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three in Florida, Uruguay on Sunday, marking the final event of his visit to the country before heading to Argentina.
## Fifty thousand gather in Florida
Tens of thousands of people packed Florida's main square for the Mass. The city has a population of about forty thousand but the Vatican estimated fifty thousand were on hand.
## Leo praises mothers who kept faith alive
In his homily, Pope Leo thanked all the mothers and grandmothers who have passed the faith onto younger generations, acknowledging their pain when their efforts did not stick.

> Mothers and grandmothers: never tire of passing on the faith!
## Leo reminds Uruguay of Catholic roots
Leo became the first pope in nearly four decades to visit Uruguay, in hopes of reminding its people that the Catholic Church is part of their very identity as a nation.
## The Virgin statue and independence
According to tradition, thirty-three independence patriots acquired the Guaraní statue and had it with them when independence was declared from the Brazilian empire in Florida on August twenty-fifth, eighteen twenty-five.
## Argentina visit expected to be delicate
Pope Leo now heads to Argentina for the second leg of his South American tour.
## Milei slashed healthcare spending by forty-eight percent
Since taking office in December two thousand twenty-three, Milei has slashed Argentina's healthcare budget by forty-eight percent in real terms. Planned cuts to the public university system sent students into the streets.
## Poverty reaches thirty-two point three percent
According to official data, poverty in Argentina reached thirty-two point three percent of the population during the first half of two thousand twenty-six, representing about fifteen million people.
## Leo's name sparks Buenos Aires posters
Posters reading at last a lion who unites appeared across Buenos Aires this weekend, a jab playing on the pope's name in Spanish, León or lion, and the lion imagery Milei often uses on social…
## Leo warns against AI threats
Like Milei, Leo has taken positions on artificial intelligence. Leo has warned that the AI race poses threats to humanity and the environment and called for strict, internationally policed safeguards on its development.
## Leo completes Francis' unfinished business
In Argentina, Leo is completing unfinished business left by Pope Francis. The Argentine Jesuit, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, never returned home during his twelve-year pontificate, confounding friends and foes alike.
## Death threats reported before arrival
Argentina's state intelligence agency said Saturday that a person had been arrested over death threats against Leo ahead of his arrival.A federal court in Campana, some seventy kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires, ordered the arrest.
## Key takeaway

Pope Leo the fourteenth completed his Uruguay visit by celebrating the Virgin of the Thirty-three and praising mothers who passed on the Catholic faith, before moving to Argentina where he will meet President Javier Milei amid church criticism of austerity cuts.