The tribute to Pope Francis held last weekend in Buenos Aires has sparked controversy due to its format: a massive electronic music event in the heart of Plaza de Mayo, organized by a priest turned DJ.
A massive tribute to the techno rhythm
More than 100,000 people—and according to some estimates up to 120,000—gathered on Saturday in the historic Plaza de Mayo, next to the cathedral where Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop, to participate in an event that combined electronic music with religious references.
The event was driven by the Portuguese priest Guilherme Peixoto, known as “Father Guilherme,” who led a several-hour musical session from a stage with a festival aesthetic. On large screens, images of Pope Francis and St. John Paul II were projected, along with symbols like crosses and doves, while fragments of papal speeches were mixed with techno beats.
An atmosphere straight out of a show
The staging transformed downtown Buenos Aires into a space more akin to a concert than a religious act. Lights, visual effects, and high-powered sound marked the event’s development.
Among the attendees were both faithful and people distant from religious practice. Some young people openly admitted to having no beliefs but came drawn by the atmosphere and the music. Reports describe an environment with dynamics typical of nightlife, hardly compatible with the nature of a religious act.
Pope’s messages integrated into the music
One of the central elements of the event was the inclusion of Pope Francis’s words within the musical mixes. Phrases directed at young people were incorporated into the techno sessions, integrated into a format typical of mass entertainment.
The Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge García Cuerva, also spoke from the stage, stating that, although Francis did not return to his country as Pope, his presence continues to be strongly felt among Argentines.
A DJ priest with international projection
Guilherme Peixoto, ordained a priest in 1999, has developed a parallel career as a DJ, performing at electronic music festivals and clubs in various countries. His popularity has increased in recent years, especially after his participation in the 2023 World Youth Day.
The priest himself has defended his goal of bringing a message to young people distant from the Church through a language that feels familiar to them.
Between tribute and pastoral confusion
The Buenos Aires event reflects a way of commemorating that breaks with the Church’s traditional channels. The combination of electronic music, festive atmosphere, and religious references shifts the sacred into the realm of spectacle.
When a priest acts publicly in that context, his mission cannot be detached from the explicit proclamation of faith. However, integrating the religious message into entertainment dynamics ends up diluting its content and emptying it of its proper meaning.
It is not just a change of language, but an alteration of the end: the transmission of faith becomes subordinated to the spectacle, and the priest appears more as an entertainer than as a spiritual guide. In that shift, the risk is not only formal, but fundamental.
