Francis expressed sympathy for the strife of Argentines pulled into poverty as they bore the brunt of Milei’s fiscal shock therapy, voicing concern over what he called a “save yourself approach” to doing politics and publicly criticizing Argentine security forces for using pepper spray against Argentine retirees protesting for better pensions.

A mass was held at St. Joseph's Basilica in Flores, a district of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, to commemorate Pope Francis. The event drew crowds of the faithful, including prominent dignitaries.