Pope Leo XIV praises charity Argentine bishops say is imperiled by government funding shortfalls

CLAYPOLE, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV on Monday praised the work of a care home for disabled people that Argentina’s Catholic bishops have said is imperiled by the austerity policies of President Javier Milei.

“The values of dignity, belonging, and fraternal friendship that distinguish places like this have much to say to our societies, which are often driven solely by the pursuit of economic success or the cult of outward appearance,” Leo said to assembled residents and caregivers at the home, located in a lower-income suburb south of Buenos Aires.

“A nation’s progress is also measured by how it welcomes all people with disabilities and particular needs,” the pope said.

The Don Orione Little Cottolengo of Claypole was founded in 1935 by the Italian priest St. Luigi Orione. In April of this year, leaders of Argentina’s bishops’ conference cited the Don Orione Cottolengo network, whose flagship is the Claypole center, as an example of an “extremely serious financial crisis” facing institutions that serve people with disabilities because of “delays and shortfalls in state funding.”

The Little Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole is home to 410 adults with varying degrees of…