Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, spent Monday morning at a Catholic home for people with disabilities near Buenos Aires, a day after he landed in Argentina and was received by President Javier Milei. He met residents and staff of a home that sits at the centre of a national funding dispute.
The visit took place at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, a town south of the capital in Buenos Aires province. The Holy See, the Vatican’s government, scheduled it for 9:15 a.m. local time (7:15 a.m. US Eastern Time, ET).
For US readers, the stop matters because Leo comes from Chicago and Milei’s spending cuts have hit healthcare and social services. Disability funding is a national political dispute, and the visit puts it in the spotlight.
- Who: Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, is on a 12-day tour of three countries.
- What: He visited a Catholic home for over 400 people with disabilities in Claypole.
- Why: Funding for care of people with disabilities is a live national dispute in Argentina.
- Next: Mass in Palermo, a Buenos Aires district, at 11:30 local (9:30 a.m. US Eastern Time, ET).
As of 9 November 2026, 13:15 GMT
What We Know
Leo landed in Argentina on Sunday 8 November and was received by Milei. Monday is his first full day in the country, the second leg of a 12-day tour that began in Uruguay and ends in Peru.
The Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione is a Catholic home for people with disabilities, opened in 1936 and run by the Don Orione religious order, a Catholic order serving the poor, which was founded by the Italian priest Luigi Orione. It serves more than 400 vulnerable people, and its sanctuary keeps the heart relic of St Luigi Orione.
The home is at the centre of an argument over who pays for care of people with disabilities. We have not confirmed what the pope said there.
In a speech on Sunday evening at the Palacio Libertad in Buenos Aires, where he addressed officials and diplomats, Leo said the economy must serve the person, not the person the economy.
The Funding Dispute Behind the Visit
Milei’s spending cuts have hit healthcare and social services. Argentina’s Catholic bishops’ conference warned the health minister on 1 April 2026 about late payments to disability services.
The centre says state medicines and supplies were not delivered between March and June 2026. A federal administrative court in Lomas de Zamora ordered funds seized from the Health Ministry in late October 2026 over a debt to the centre.
Disability funding remains a national political dispute, and the pope’s visit puts it in the spotlight.
In Plain English
Claypole and Cottolengo. Claypole is a town south of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires province. The Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione is the Catholic care home the pope visited there.
The Holy See. It is the Vatican’s government, and its press office publishes the pope’s daily programme. Every local time in this article follows that programme.
Milei’s austerity. It means deep cuts to public spending. Critics say it has hurt services for people with disabilities, and the centre says it has been left short of money.
What Is Not Known
The full official text of the pope’s Monday remarks has not been confirmed. We also do not know how many people attend today’s Mass.
We have not confirmed any official government reaction to the Cottolengo visit itself. We have also not confirmed whether the pope mentioned Milei by name.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
The Mass at the Monumento de los Españoles, a monument in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires, starts at 11:30 local time (9:30 a.m. ET) today, Monday 9 November. Travellers in the city should check for road closures.
Leo is the first pope born in the United States, so his Argentine tour draws attention at home. The funding dispute shows how a national budget fight can reach a single care home.
What Comes Next
The Holy See programme lists the rest of the Argentine stops below, in local time, which is two hours ahead of US Eastern Time. Our day programme covers the Buenos Aires stops in more detail.
- Monday 9 November, 11:30 (9:30 a.m. ET): Mass at the Monumento de los Españoles, a landmark in Palermo.
- Monday 9 November, 16:10 (2:10 p.m. ET): meeting with the work community at the Catholic University of Argentina, including business leaders and union and popular-movement representatives.
- Tuesday 10 November: Córdoba, a major city in central Argentina.
- Wednesday 11 November: Luján, a pilgrimage town west of Buenos Aires with a major basilica, then Peru.
More is on our Argentina page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Pope Leo go on Monday morning?
He visited the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, south of Buenos Aires. It is a Catholic home for people with disabilities that serves more than 400 vulnerable people.
What did the pope say about the economy?
In a speech on Sunday evening at the Palacio Libertad in Buenos Aires, where he addressed officials and diplomats, he said the economy must serve the person, not the person the economy. We have not confirmed his Monday remarks at the Cottolengo.
Why is disability funding disputed in Argentina?
Milei’s spending cuts have hit healthcare and social services, and payments to disability services have arrived late. The centre says state medicines were not delivered between March and June 2026, and a court ordered funds seized from the Health Ministry in late October 2026.
What is the pope doing next today?
He celebrates Mass at 11:30 local time (9:30 a.m. ET) at the Monumento de los Españoles in Palermo. At 16:10 he meets the work community at the Catholic University of Argentina.
Sources: Holy See press office programme; Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione; Rio Times reporting.
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