Argentine President Javier Milei met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on Saturday morning. This is the first time the pair has met after Milei cancelled his trip last month to the pontiff’s inauguration to follow the Buenos Aires City legislative elections, which took place the same day. 

The highlight of the meeting was the pope’s confirmation that he intends to visit Argentina, according to a post on social media by presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni. No timeline was given for the visit. 

The Holy See press office released a statement saying that  the conversation was “cordial,” and that both leaders reiterated their mutual appreciation for “the sound bilateral relations and the will to strengthen them further.” They also spoke about socio-economic progress, the fight against poverty, and the commitment to social cohesion, said the press release.

The communiqué added that the pair spoke about regional and international socio-political issues, “with special attention given to ongoing conflicts” and the need for “urgent efforts in support of peace.”

Earlier this month, days after the death of Pope Francis, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the new leader of the Catholic Church, the first U.S.-born pontiff in history. The pope, a moderate progressive close to his predecessor, has expressed views opposing those of Milei on the Israel-Gaza conflict and migration, among others.

The meeting was part of Milei’s ten-day trip that includes stops in France, Spain, and Israel. The previous day, the Argentine leader met with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni. They both attended the signing ceremony of an agreement between state-owned energy company YPF and Italian multinational ENI to develop the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market in the South American nation.

Milei and Meloni have ideological affinities and have met multiple times before.

The rest of the trip

Milei is scheduled to fly to Madrid at 1 p.m. Argentine time. He will not meet any Spanish government representatives. Last year, Milei accused Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife of being corrupt, prompting the countries to recall their ambassadors, and later accused Sánchez of using the state’s power to “trample on the Spanish people.” 

Last month, the countries appointed new ambassadors.

Instead, Milei will participate in the Madrid Economic Forum and then depart for Nice, France. On Monday, he will meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

That day, Milei will depart on a flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. In two separate meetings scheduled for Tuesday 10, Milei will meet Israel’s president and prime minister, Isaac Herzog and Benjamin Netanyahu. He will then visit the Wailing Wall. 

Milei has sided with Netanyahu in Israel’s ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip, which to date has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The attack followed Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, when the Palestinian militant group killed 1,200 and kidnapped 251 others.

On Wednesday 11, Milei will visit the Holy Sepulcher, meet relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas, and be given the official medal for the Genesis Prize, commonly referred to as the Jewish Nobel Prize. Israel granted him the award in January for his unwavering support of Israel during the conflict in Gaza. 

On Thursday 12, he will sign a “Memorandum of Understanding for Democracy and Freedom” with his Israeli counterpart and announce the start of direct flights between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv. Then, he will visit the Wailing Wall once more with the Israeli Prime Minister, before returning to Madrid for three days to receive an award and meet with businesspeople.

He is set to return to Argentina on Saturday, June 14.