Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit a disability care residence near Buenos Aires on Nov. 9, as Argentina’s Congress weighs proposed changes to state assistance for people with disabilities.
The government of President Javier Milei has proposed changing the rules for state support, and Congress is considering the measure alongside the 2027 budget. Patients, organizations representing the disability sector and the opposition say the change would amount to an indirect cut in state support, AFP reported.
Cottolengo Don Orione, in Claypole, is home to 410 adults with disabilities, many of whom need permanent care, and employs 380 people, AFP reported. Its grounds include 16 residential homes and workshops.
In September, the Catholic Church’s Social Pastoral ministry challenged the budget-focused approach in a document titled “The Fragility That Makes Us Human.” It said, “In the face of vulnerability, the state’s response must not be reduced to a mathematical equation.”
Leo’s South American itinerary also includes Uruguay and Peru, AFP reported. The Vatican said medical assessments found no reason to delay the trip, as EconoTimes previously reported in its coverage of Leo’s Peru visit and medical clearance.
The 45-minute program is expected to feature a chapel ceremony, testimonies from two residents and a live broadcast for people outside the residence, AFP reported. Screens are planned for thousands of Catholic worshippers expected beyond the grounds; they will also be able to greet Leo as he travels the final kilometer in the Popemobile, AFP reported. The pope is also due to visit a ward for residents who are bedridden, away from cameras.
Brother Jorge Silanes, the center’s director, said organizers plan to remove pews to make room for wheelchairs. “We want people with disabilities to be the protagonists,” he said. Leo is due at the residence Monday, Nov. 9.
