While the Fernández government has been notable for promoting several anti-Catholic initiatives, such as abortion, the President and Ministers of State attended a mass celebrated at one of the main Marian Shrines of the country.
Newsroom (14/09/2022 9:10 PM, Gaudium Press) The mass celebrated last Saturday in the Basilica of Lujan, Argentina, presided by local Archbishop Jorge Eduardo Schenig, for the intentions of Vice-President Cristina de Kirchner, continues to cause controversy. The mass occurred after the assassination attempt that was highly publicized by the media and that some question its veracity.
The mass was attended by the President of the Republic, Ministers of State and supporters of Kirchner. In the intentions, a request was made “for the life of the vice-president,” and was applauded by those in attendance in the sanctuary.
In the homily, the Archbishop seemed to anticipate the polemic when he said that “I would be very sorry if this gesture was misinterpreted. The Virgin of Luján is Immaculate and any bad intention, far from staining her, stains us.”
Later in the petitions, after imploring God for help for the Pope and the governments, it was said: “We ask you, Lord, that just as You took care of the life of the vice-president of the nation, Dr. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, you continue taking care of the life of all Argentineans, and we ask that violence never again take hold, putting democratic coexistence at risk.”
After the Mass, social media lit up with numerous criticisms:
“Total repudiation of the militant ‘mass,’ defiling an emblem of the country like the Basilica of Luján and demonstrating, once again, that the Church in Argentina is just another arm of Peronist power. We Catholics are left without references”, is just one of the many expressions on the networks.
Archbishop’s statement
After the Eucharist, the Archbishop offered some statements, already in the midst of controversy:
“I would like to make a clarification. This weekend, the bishops of Argentina invited everyone to pray for peace, we didn’t think of a central Mass or event, but what is done in all Masses and shrines, but when the mayor of Luján proposed me to do this Mass, I said yes, that seemed good to me.”
However, continued the Prelate, “the Mass has grown in scope and I really want to apologize, I want to do it from the heart. I made a mistake, I messed up, as we say.“
Incidentally, Alberto Fernández’s government, represented by himself at that Mass, has stood out for promoting or supporting serious anti-Catholic measures, such as the decriminalization of abortion at the end of 2020, among others.
With information from Aciprensa
Compiled by Camille Mittermeier
