Pope León XIV defended labor unions during his visit to Argentina, calling the organizations necessary to protect workers from economic instability and the pressures of artificial intelligence, El Comercio Perú reported.
The Pontiff spoke on Monday at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires, addressing an audience of business leaders, academics, and labor representatives. His remarks challenged current economic policies as the country undergoes a contentious labor reform pushed by Javier Milei's administration.
Shifting the Focus to Human Dignity and Employment
After a massive mass that gathered more than 2 million people in front of the Monument of the Spaniards, Pope León XIV changed the venue and brought his message to the local world of work. At the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), before business leaders, trade unionists, and social figures, he asked that the economy not lose sight of those who live by their daily effort. The Pontiff criticized the dehumanization of work in Argentina, advocating for labor dignity and solidarity in a context of economic crisis and growing unemployment, and warned of the risks of a labor model that puts economic benefits before the dignity of workers.
He also lamented that unemployment constitutes an authentic drama for those who suffer it, noting that depriving a person of work is not simply denying them an economic income, but rather gravely wounding their dignity, nullifying their ability to contribute to society, and plunging them into social exclusion. The Ponticell also asserted that the current vision of labor faces economic foundations, the ecological crisis, and the irresponsible use of the planet's resources.
The Pontiff recalled the venerable Enrique Shaw, an Argentine businessman linked to the founding of the Catholic University of Argentina who defended an industry that is not merely a productive gear or a means of capital accumulation, but a true community of people called to grow together, as an example of a Christian conception of business activity.
The Pope called for the access to employment to remain a central goal of governmental and economic decisions as a priority for public policies.
“The economy must be at the service of the person, and not the person at the service of the economy,” León XIV told the gathering, according to Vatican News. The Pope warned that treating workers solely through the lens of productivity strips labor of its human value, lamenting that joblessness remains an acute crisis that strips individuals of social inclusion and dignity.
The speech struck a deep chord across Argentina’s organized labor movement. Jorge Sola, co-head of the General Confederation of Labour, told Infobae that union leadership felt directly represented by the Pontiff’s invocation of Catholic social doctrine, noting that the address emphasized solidarity and the common good over sheer avarice.
Cristian Jerónimo pointed to the Pope’s warnings regarding precarity and artificial intelligence, while Gerardo Martínez of the construction union UOCRA emphasized the speech’s alignment with domestic realities. Sergio Sasia of the Unión Ferroviaria highlighted the call for structural social dialogue to bridge divides between labor and capital.
RPP Noticias noted that Argentina has recorded the loss of 36,000 jobs and the closure of 6,900 businesses since the implementation of the government’s labor reform in March. Broader civil society reports cited by the outlet place total job losses since late 2023 at over 241,000.
León XIV argued that public policy must prioritize universal access to employment as a fundamental benchmark of human development. El Comodorense highlighted the Pontiff’s insistence that domestic, community, and informal labor are equally vital components of a just economic architecture.
| Metric / Indicator | Reported Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Reform Job Losses | 36,000 positions | Recorded since the March labor reform |
| Closed Businesses | 6,900 enterprises | Tracked since March implementation |
| Total Displacements | 241,200 workers | Civil society estimate since late 2023 |
