Agustín Caulo explained how Milei is preparing for the historic visit of Pope Leo XIV

The Secretary of Worship and Civilization, Agustín Caulo, assured that Javier Milei's Government is not concerned about the content of the message that Pope Leo XIV will convey during his upcoming visit to Argentina and emphasized that the goal is to preserve the pastoral nature of the tour. The official stated that the Pontiff will arrive as the pastor of the Catholic Church and dismissed any fear of potential political questioning towards the national administration.

“The message is welcome. The tone will be pastoral. He is a pastor. Sometimes one loses sight of that: the Pope comes as the head of state of the Vatican City, yes, but also as the pastor of the entire Catholic Church. So the tone of the message is pastoral, and the Government has no concerns in that regard,” Caulo affirmed in an interview with Infobae.

The visit will have historic significance, as it will be the first by a Pope to Argentina in 39 years. Leo XIV will arrive this Sunday and remain in the country until Wednesday the 11th, with activities planned in Buenos Aires, Luján, and Córdoba. According to the Secretary, the final preparations are focused on logistical coordination with the Vatican, especially regarding transportation and the timing of each activity.

The Government seeks to prevent the Pope's visit from becoming a political dispute

Caulo explained that one of the main priorities of Milei's administration is to ensure that the visit is not used as a tool for dispute among different political spaces. In this sense, he insisted that it is an apostolic and pastoral tour, whose content responds to the mission of the Catholic Church.

“The Pope is not coming to deliver a message to the local politics of the Argentine Republic. The Pope's message is the message of the Catholic Church, which is an evangelical message and is the same at all times, not just in the current context,” he pointed out.

The official also explained that the locations chosen for the activities respond to pastoral proposals from the Church itself and not to criteria of political positioning. As an example, he mentioned the meeting at the Catholic University, where Leo XIV will interact with representatives from the labor sector, and the visit to Cottolengo Don Orione, related to disability issues.

“These are not places analyzed from a political perspective; they are analyzed from a pastoral perspective,” he emphasized.

Regarding the participation of leaders from different spaces, Caulo considered that there are no conditions for anyone to attempt to politically appropriate the visit. He explained that the Government has held discussions with organizations, authorities, and representatives from various sectors to ensure that the event is shared by all of Argentine society.

Milei invited the entire Congress, governors, and the Supreme Court to the Palacio Libertad

One of the main institutional events will be the meeting at the Palacio Libertad, where the Pope will meet with representatives of the branches of government, political leaders, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Caulo clarified that the invitation to Argentine authorities was a decision of the Government, following a request from the Vatican to organize an event with representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps.

The invitation included all deputies and senators of the National Congress, regardless of party affiliation, the vice president, members of the Supreme Court of Justice, the 23 governors, and the head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires.

“This gives us an image of all politics gathered around the visit of the Holy Father,” the secretary explained.

When asked about the absence of former presidents in the invitation, Caulo responded that they were not invited and considered that the institutional representation was covered with the invited authorities.

On the other hand, he anticipated that Javier Milei's speech during the meeting will be framed as a call for national unity.

“Everything is set for the message to be in the context of unity, to be a call for unity,” he stated.

The preparations with the Vatican and the operation for Leo XIV's health

The Secretary of Worship also detailed the final adjustments made with the Vatican's advance delegation, which arrived in the country to coordinate the operational aspects of the visit.

He explained that one of the main challenges is organizing the Pope's transportation between various activities and his residence, the Apostolic Nunciature.

Caulo emphasized that every minute spent on transportation represents time that the Pope could share with Argentines. Therefore, the organization seeks to minimize delays and consider possible changes in schedules, always respecting the will and needs of the Holy Father.

Regarding his health, the official explained that the Vatican did not request special modifications to the planned protocols, although it asked to pay attention to the indications of those accompanying the Pontiff during the tour.

“The only thing they told us is that what was already planned as a prior protocol remains in place and that there is nothing new,” he detailed.

Additionally, he confirmed that there are high-complexity healthcare facilities prepared to address any eventuality during the tour across different jurisdictions. He indicated that these protocols were already in place before the Pope's medical intervention.

Caulo also clarified that, from the perspective of the Argentine Government, the visit was never formally suspended. The national administration awaited the Vatican's medical evaluations and prioritized the Pope's health above any aspect of the agenda.

When it was confirmed that the tour would continue with the original schedule, the Government received the news with relief.

Caulo highlighted the rapprochement between the Government and the Church

During the interview, the official also referred to the relationship between Milei's administration and the Catholic Church, a relationship that has gone through moments of tension in recent years.