Pope Leo XIV met on November 9, the second day of his apostolic journey to Argentina, with about one hundred representatives of Christian communities and other religious traditions at the Palacio San Martín in Buenos Aires, the ceremonial seat of the Argentine Foreign Ministry. In his address, the Pope presented religions as guardians of human dignity, expressions of freedom, and places to cultivate hope. At the end of the meeting, he lit a candle and observed a minute of silence for world peace.
Three “idols” against freedom
Developing the second of these dimensions, the Pontiff maintained that faith frees us from several idols. He spoke of the “idol of domination, which leads one to claim to be above others,” because, he explained, we are not god to anyone; of that of vainglory, since the things one possesses do not make divine the one who has them; and of that of war, since there is only one Lord and judge of history.
In the section dedicated to dignity, Pope Leo XIV asked those present to defend life: “While we praise God for the gift of life, let us always defend it for everyone, from conception to its natural end.” He added that this dignity must also be promoted in the family, education, work, and care for the environment, according to the text published by the Holy See.
References to John Paul II and Francis
The Pope grounded the meeting in the dialogue and friendship that, he said, were fundamental for Francis, and expressed the desire to build new bridges of cooperation. He also recalled words of John Paul II in Assisi in 2002, according to which the authentic impulse to prayer does not lead to confrontation, and took up the Polish Pope’s expression that dialogue must take place without relativisms or syncretisms of any kind. Regarding Argentine history, he affirmed that religious diversity has coexisted in peace and that religions have been a point of convergence and commitment to society, not a cause of division.
The address concluded by inviting everyone to make their own a prayer of Francis included in the encyclical Fratelli tutti (n. 287), which asks: “Inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice, and peace.” After it, the Pope lit the candle and observed the minute of silence, as captured in the images broadcast from Buenos Aires.
A journey with other controversies
Among the attendees were Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox, Evangelical, Protestant, Sikh, Buddhist, Afro-descendant, and indigenous representatives, as well as provincial officials responsible for religious affairs. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pablo Quirno, welcomed the Pope and emphasized the value of dialogue, coexistence, and respect for differences.
The visit to Argentina, part of the trip that takes Pope Leo XIV to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru between November 6 and 17, has also been marked by episodes such as the posters calling for the removal of Cardinal Fernández on Avenida de Mayo. The interreligious address has already drawn criticism from traditionalist sectors, who see it as a sign of indifferentism, while the papal text includes the cited warning against relativism and syncretism.