Cardinal Rossi fears political use of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Argentina

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Argentina from November 8 to 11, 2026, as part of a longer trip that also takes in Uruguay, from November 6 to 8, and Peru, for seven days afterward. The announcement has caused concern in Church and social circles, mainly because of the political and economic turmoil in the country.

Rossi's warning about politicization

Cardinal Ángel Rossi, the archbishop of Córdoba in central Argentina, said he is concerned about the political use that could be made of the papal visit. "Probably, each political side will try to take advantage," he told reporters, adding: "but the feeling of the people will overcome all these petty interests."

Rossi said the Church should take the right approach to the pope's arrival. He described him as "the shepherd who visits his flock."

All part of one flock

The cardinal said that every citizen, whatever their politics, belongs to the Church community. "We are all sheep; Milei is a sheep and Rossi is a sheep," he said, placing Argentine President Javier Milei and himself on the same footing within the community of faith.

"We all belong to the flock, each one in the place God has assigned him," Rossi said.

A gesture toward Francis

Leo XIV will travel to the region where his predecessor, Pope Francis, served as cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires before his pontificate, which ran from 2013 to 2025.

Rossi said that "although some link Leo's arrival with the absence of Francis, his visit is a very sensitive gesture" because it "honors Francis."

A fragile economy

Rossi also addressed the country's situation, describing Argentina as "very badly hit" economically and socially. The situation cannot be called "catastrophic," he said, but it is "very fragile."

The most constructive course, he said, would be for Argentine society to "recognize its difficulties and work together to overcome them," rather than take positions that do not reflect how complex the situation is.

Mass in Córdoba on a former factory site

The pope will visit several cities during his stay in Argentina, among them Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján. In Córdoba, a Mass is planned on the site of a former military aircraft factory, and is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of the faithful.

The site was chosen because of its history in the military industry. Rossi referred to "the emotion of the people" at the prospect of the visit, particularly in Córdoba.

A three-nation trip

The itinerary covers about three weeks in all. It begins in Uruguay on November 6, continues in Argentina from November 8 to 11 and ends with seven days in Peru.