The Milei Government met with the Church regarding the visit of León XIV: they are considering a holiday and a tribute to Francisco

The National Government held this Tuesday the first formal meeting to organize the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Argentina, scheduled for November, and began working with the Catholic Church and the City of Buenos Aires on the logistics, security, and itinerary of the Pontiff.

The meeting took place at the Casa Rosada and was led by the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, accompanied by the Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva; the Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello; the Chancellor Pablo Quirno and the Secretary of Communication and Press, Fabián Fernández.

Authorities from the city government and representatives from the Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA) also participated, including the apostolic nuncio in the country, Monsignor Michael Wallace Banach, and the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Jorge García Cuerva.

Leo XIV would have a meeting with Javier Milei

One of the points that began to take shape is the institutional agenda that the Pontiff will have during his stay. García Cuerva noted that, since he is also a head of state, Leo XIV will surely meet with President Javier Milei.

The Holy See will send a second advance team on August 30 to assess the scenarios for the different activities. Among the locations considered are the Monument to the Spaniards, in the City of Buenos Aires; the Basilica of Luján and the site of the Argentine Factory of Airplanes (FADEA), in Córdoba.

Additionally, the Church is considering incorporating a visit to Claypole, in the Buenos Aires district of Almirante Brown.

At the request of the Episcopal Conference, the Government committed to include representatives from Córdoba and the province of Buenos Aires in future meetings, the other districts involved in the visit.

The Government is considering declaring a holiday

The magnitude of the activities will also require a significant security operation, which will be coordinated by Monteoliva along with the relevant jurisdictions. Organizers estimate that some of the outdoor celebrations could attract up to a million people.

In this context, the National Government is considering the possibility of declaring a holiday during the days of the visit, a decision that, if realized, would be announced shortly before the arrival of the Pontiff.

During his stay in the country, Leo XIV will be hosted at the Apostolic Nunciature of Buenos Aires, while his delegation will stay at a nearby hotel.

It is also being evaluated for the Pope to pay some kind of tribute to Francis, although the final itinerary has not yet been confirmed and will depend on the conclusions of the next advance sent by the Holy See.