In a climate of growing social tension and under the watchful eye of the main figures of the Executive Branch, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Jorge García Cuerva, delivered a homily that served as a powerful counterpoint to the official narrative. During the traditional Tedeum at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Cuerva did not mince words in questioning the government’s indifference to social deterioration and the «internalism» that distances leaders from the reality of the people.
Using the parable of the Good Samaritan as a focal point, the prelate painted a picture of present-day Argentina where the pursuit of balanced public accounts seems to have left basic human sensitivity by the wayside. «What you spend extra is not always synonymous with waste and squandering. It is investing in the weakest,» Cuerva lashed out, in one of the harshest moments of his speech, where he seemed to allude to Milei’s obsession with fiscal surplus at the expense of adjustment to the most vulnerable sectors.
This statement was reinforced with a concrete example regarding disability care, where the archbishop pointed out that what from a spreadsheet may seem like excess staff is actually a matter of justice. In this regard, he stressed that seeing many workers in those centers may seem like a «nonsense» at first glance, but it is actually «an investment» that must be made «out of charity, but also out of justice.»
Although not directly, Cuerva seemed to allude to the coldness of Minister Sandra Pettovello’s management at Human Capital. Referring to the situation of extreme vulnerability, he called for independence from «indifference and insensitivity,» demanding that those in need be attended to «without asking for their ‘poverty credentials.'» An expression that could be interpreted as criticism of the audits and bureaucratic hurdles that delayed the delivery of social assistance.
The archbishop also targeted the communication style and polarization emanating from the top of power. Furthermore, he denounced what he called «the path of cruelty towards the weakest,» a path where, according to his words, «some take advantage to divide us and confront us, robbing us of the hopes of moving forward together.» For Cuerva, the increase in poverty is not an abstract phenomenon, but a consequence of those who hide in «caves of corruption, making the poor poorer and themselves richer.»
The disconnect between the political agenda and the needs of the street was another central theme of the homily. The Argentine primate was blunt in stating that the people are «unaware of the eternal and reality-distant discussions that leaders have.» In a call for a more human and less technical view of the economy, the archbishop demanded that the coldness of data be set aside.
In that sense, he vindicated the «wounded on the road,» among whom he mentioned the sick, retirees, the unemployed, and young people trapped by drug trafficking, and demanded that these sectors be seen as people and not as statistics: «Let us see their faces, their concrete stories, not figures or diagnoses, but their names,» he expressed before the attentive gaze of the libertarian power elite.
Among the officials and leaders present were the provisional president of the Senate, Bartolomé Abdala; the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem; the Chief of Cabinet, Diego Santilli; the Chancellor, Pablo Quirno; the Minister of Defense, Carlos Presti; the Minister of Justice, Juan Mahiques; the Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva; and the Minister of Health, Mario Lugones. Also participating were the Minister of Human Capital, Pettovello; the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger; the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei; the Legal and Technical Secretary of the Presidency, María Ibarzabal Murphy; the Secretary of Communication and Press, Fabián Fernández; the presidential spokesperson, Adrián Ravier; the Secretary of Culture, Leonardo Cifelli; the head of the libertarian bloc in the Upper House, Patricia Bullrich; the president of the Central Bank, Santiago Bausili; and presidential advisor Santiago Caputo.
para mi el tedeum dejo clarito q milei es un corrupto de mierda q solo beneficia a los ricos mientras la gente se muere de hambre la iglesia le clavo un discurso q es pura verdad pero estos liberbirchos van a decir q es derroche preocuparse por los pobres mamita q pais de hijos de puta viva la lucha de clases firme fri guerrera
para mi este curita zurdo habla de pobresa pero se olvida de los politicos chorros milei tiene razon no mas plata a los vagos argentina necesita laburo no limosnas viva la libertad carajo firmado el tano picolini