Madar (International) - Pope Leo XIV called on Argentines to pursue unity and responsibility and to preserve democracy, saying that "the economy must be at the service of the person, and not the person at the service of the economy", in his first speech after arriving in Argentina on Sunday, 8 November 2026, according to Vatican News.
The pope addressed the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Palace of Liberty, the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento cultural centre in Buenos Aires. He said he came to Argentina as a pastor, and that the Church wished to offer, including to those holding public office, a message aimed at preserving the dignity of every person, harmony and the common good.
Recalling his Argentine predecessor Pope Francis, who was unable to visit his homeland, Leo XIV said: "I come to the homeland where Pope Francis began a story that would later become intertwined with that of the whole Church". He praised a people that "knew how to open its doors" to migrants and kept its ability to recover even in difficult times.
"Democracy is also part of this heritage that should be preserved," he said, describing it as a daily effort of listening, seeking compromise and recognising the views of others. "Authority reaches its highest meaning when it is exercised as a service," he added, stressing that those who hold it must respect the limits of their power and act for the good of the whole community.
The pope voiced concern over the difficulties some families face in living from their work, and said that "a nation must seriously ask itself where it has failed when its young people are forced to leave their land to fulfil their dreams". He called for stronger education, vocational training, higher education and research, and for trust in young people.
Argentina is one stage of Leo XIV's Latin America tour, which began in Uruguay and also includes Peru.
