With the surprising absence of the vice president Victoria Villarruelthe archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge García Cuerva led a mass for the “fallen in war” of the South Atlantic in which, although he proposed using the Malvinas cause “as a reason for unity” of the Argentines, seemed to target the Government due to a socioeconomic crisis exacerbated by the high inflation numbers and the adjustment in spending.
The bishop performed the religious service on Tuesday afternoon in the Buenos Aires Cathedral and took advantage of his homily to remember that although “we live in a culture that wants to hide death” every April 2 “is also a reason to cry.” It was in this context that he asked those present to ask themselves if he learned to cry. “when I see a hungry child, a drugged teenager on the street, a father desperate to provide bread for his family or a retiree who cannot buy his medication,” in what seemed like a veiled criticism of the country’s social situation.
In another passage of his speech, García Cuerva, appointed last year by the Pope and with a profile oriented to the most progressive sector of the Church, maintained that he also The 649 dead in the war and the more than a thousand wounded hurt, but also the oblivion and “the ideological use of the Malvinas cause.” In this regard, he cited Francis’ sayings from 2020: “It is very sad when ideologies take over the interpretation of a nation, a country and disfigure the homeland.”
Finally, the Buenos Aires bishop insisted that “to say Malvinas is to say national identity, that is to say Homeland, that is to say history, present and future, that is to say brotherhood because this cause unites us.” And, raising his voice, he sought an idea and returned to the attendees: “Long live the Virgin Mary, Long live Argentina and Long live the Malvinas!”
The chancellor listened carefully from the front row Diana Mondiño, the only member of the cabinet present, who was accompanied by Foreign Ministry officials such as Fulvio Pompeo and Paola Di Chiaro. When asked about what seemed like an elliptical criticism by the prelate of the social issue, the official argued that “The Church always cares about the poor, not now, 2 thousand years ago” and reiterated that the Government will do “everything possible” to reduce poverty.
The Buenos Aires legislator was also sitting in front of the altar. lucia montenegroclose to Vice. Villarruel’s absence was surprising because he had the meeting on the agenda after having participated in the morning, together with Javier Milei, in the tribute to the veterans and fallen that took place at the Retiro cenotaph.. He was also not at the inauguration of the Malvinas Hall of Heroes at Casa Rosada, an activity organized by Karina Milei, with whom he maintains a prudent distance. “We both have strong characters,” she acknowledged in a recent TN report.
The truth is that the failure of the head of the Senate to attend the service held in the Cathedral was due, according to her entourage, because “he preferred to spend the rest of the day with his family.” At the event held at the memorial, she was seen emotional – the President gave her a heartfelt hug – when remembering her late father Eduardo, “a decorated hero of the Malvinas”, as she later recalled in a crossing she had on the social network .
Some libertarian deputies were also present at the mass, such as Lisandro Almirón from Corrientes. The graduates were attended by dozens of relatives of the fallen and veterans of the war. Some fervent followers of Milei also attended, such as a woman dressed in a dress that emulated the Argentine flag, who at the end of the gathering took photos with the chancellor.
