Catholic Church leaders yesterday sent messages of peace and unity addressed to the country’s political leaders during the homilies to commemorate the 205th anniversary of the May Revolution.
In Luján as well as Buenos Aires City, religious leaders echoed Pope Francis’ words regarding the need to avoid hate and infighting, remarks the former archbishop had uttered when elected pointiff in 2013.
Offering the Te Deum ceremony at the Luján Basilica, the Archbishop of the cities of Luján and Mercedes, Monsignor Agustín Radrizzani, called for work and solidarity and demanded “no more fights” between Argentine politicians.
“Take care of each other. Don’t hurt others. Avoid hatred, avoid infighting. Put envy aside, do not gossip, engage in dialogue,” Radrizzani said.
The Church leader also emphasized on the need for public policies that take into consideration “the poorest and most excluded sectors of society.”
On a more colourful note, Radrizzani stressed the renovation works on the basilica carried out with taxpayer money during the 2003-2007 administration of late president Néstor Kirchner.
“With contribution from Néstor Kirchner in the past and the support from our president today, renovation has returned the lustre to the basilica… Today, the sanctuary looks (like it used to in 1930) and can be seen (all the way from) from Belgrano Square,” he said referring to the city’s main public square.
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner showed up at the traditional Te Deum ceremony in Luján after appearing last year — for the first time in eight years — at the BA City Cathedral, metres away from Government House.
Accompanied by her entire Cabinet, the head of state arrived at 11.45am and was received by Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli.
Last week, Fernández de Kirchner announced that she would attend the Luján ceremony “as a symbol of what was achieved in the past 12 years” of Kirchnerite rule.
Presidentials hopefuls make peace
Scioli and Interior and Transport Minister Florencio Randazzo, his rival in the Victory Front (FpV) primary, suspended tensions yesterday and they both shared the same car to attend the religious service.
The Kirchnerite official sat in the second row, next to the president’s Chief-of-staff Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro, while Scioli and his wife Karina Rabolini occupied seats in the first row. After the ceremony, the two presidential candidates waited for the president, walked together and were photographed separately.
Hours later, Scioli shared a photo with his wife and CFK in social networks, stressing that at the October elections, victory will be “for those who don’t want to go back to the (economic) adjustment policies.”
Randazzo, for his part, said that he wantd to discuss with Scioli because he wanted to know what the governor thinks “about human rights, the Media Law and the complicity between militars and civilians” during the last dictatorship.
BA city Te Deum
Meanwhile, at the Metropolitan Cathedral, another Te Deum was celebrated, which was led by BA City Archbishop Mario Poli, who called to “overcome the idea that the other is an adversary or an enemy” — another message demanding the unity of political leaders.
City Mayor Mauricio Macri took part in the ceremony and expressed regret that the president was not there: “It’s a pity the Te Deum is split in two. We made it last year, I don’t know why the president decided to return to Luján.”
Yesterday’s Te Deum at the Cathedral was Macri’s last May Revolution ceremony as BA City mayor.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald