A wounded and divided country
With just over a month remaining before Pope León XIV arrives in Argentina, Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva painted a stark picture of the nation the pontiff will encounter. He said the Pope will find a country wounded by economic and social hardship and split by deep political polarization. The archbishop spoke ahead of the 52nd Youth Pilgrimage to Luján, describing a society where disqualification and intolerance have become routine.[S1][S3][S4]
García Cuerva emphasized that the wound is felt in the daily lives of ordinary people, particularly the large share of Argentines living in poverty. He noted that the crisis is not a recent development, recalling that his grandfather used to tell him the country would move forward once he grew up. The archbishop said he has already grown up, yet Argentina remains in the same difficult situation.[S1][S2][S3][S6]
Despite the grim assessment, García Cuerva stressed that Argentine society has not given up. He pointed to the workers who keep struggling to move forward and to the more than one million people expected to walk to the Luján basilica as evidence of that resilience. The pilgrimage, he said, reflects a people who continue to bet on unity.[S2][S3][S4][S6]
Preparations for the papal visit
The archbishop's remarks came after a Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral and on the eve of the pilgrimage. The visit of León XIV is scheduled for November 8 to 11 and will mark the first time a pontiff sets foot on Argentine soil in nearly 40 years. The Argentine Episcopal Conference has already launched the official website for the visit, elpapaenargentina.com.ar, to centralize information about the Pope's agenda and activities.[S1][S3][S4]
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García Cuerva also highlighted the coordination between the Church and various levels of government in organizing the visit. He said more than 20,000 volunteers are involved in preparations and praised the joint work between national, provincial and local authorities. The archbishop described the effort as a pre-visit that is already bearing fruit, aimed at ensuring the Pope can meet with the people.[S3][S4]
The archbishop has previously acknowledged both points of agreement and significant differences with the government. He responded to comments by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, who had said there was no fundamental difference between the national government and the Church. García Cuerva said that while seeking common ground is a good intention, it is also true that many differences exist and recognizing them is not wrong.[S6]
A call for peace and unity
When asked about recent political clashes, including an incident involving Juan Grabois in Congress and criticism from President Javier Milei on social media, García Cuerva did not address those episodes directly. Instead, he called on those in positions of responsibility—religious, business and political leaders—to commit to peace. He said everyone who has responsibility over others must bet on peace.[S3][S4]
The archbishop insisted that the Pope's message should not be placed on one side or the other of Argentina's political rift. He said the visit is pastoral and will leave homework for when the Pope is no longer with them, with the challenge being to carry out what he tells them. The Church hopes the visit will promote encounter and unity among Argentines.[S1][S3]
