NNA - Argentine President Javier Milei, and Argentine Pope Francis met in Rome for the first time on Sunday, while their country is witnessing economic collapse, according to Agence France-Presse.

The two men, who have sharply different views on how to eradicate Argentina's poverty, met briefly before and after Sunday Mass, as part of Milei's first visit to Rome since assuming his presidential duties.

Milei, who previously described Pope Francis as an "idiot" and "promoter of communism," attended the canonization ceremony for Mother Antola, the first saint from Argentina, in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

After Mass, Francis, in his wheelchair, stopped briefly to shake hands and exchange a few words with Milei, who hugged him.

An official meeting is scheduled to be held between them on Monday. Milei intends to meet on the same day with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The meeting between the two men comes amid a state of great political uncertainty in Argentina, as Milei published a presidential decree that led to major chaos in the Argentine economy.

Milei and Pope Francis differ radically on how to address poverty, which affects 40% of the Argentine population, where inflation exceeds 200%.

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