President Javier Milei met with pastoral representatives of the church at Casa Rosada Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the Argentine Republic (ACIERA). Through its official channels, the government reported that during the activity a “emotional moment“.
The meeting took place this Tuesday Heroes of Malvinas Hall and took place in the run-up to the Christmas celebrations. Central authorities of ACIERA and members of the government team that forms the libertarian space took part.
“Thank you, I am deeply grateful. I really appreciate you being here at this moment. And I wish you a happy holiday with all my heart. May God bless you all.” And may the powers of heaven be with us“said the head of state during the meeting.
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As part of the day, a choir organized a musical moment, performing songs with religious content. The event was also attended by ruling party officials who attended the event..
During 2025 Javier Milei developed an agenda that included various activities with representatives of the Evangelical Churchincluding temple visits and institutional meetings.
The president maintains a public relationship with Judaism and has also held meetings with evangelical circles in various parts of the country. In this context, opinion polls were disseminated over the course of the year covered high levels of support from the evangelical electorate for the current government.
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Tensions between the government and the Catholic Church
The connection between the national government and the Catholic Church has changed since the inauguration of Javier Milei. For the second time in a row, the bishops refrained from greeting the president in person on the occasion of the holidays.
The decision was made afterwards No response was received to a request for a hearing that was submitted in 2024 from the Argentine Bishops’ ConferenceTherefore, it was decided to send a formal notice.
In areas linked to the church, the lack of an official response was mentionedin a context in which the president held meetings with evangelical leaders and authorities of Judaism.
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A precedent occurred in early November when Milei attended a prayer at the government building along with evangelical leaders National Day of the Evangelical Churchesbefore a trip to the USA.
There have been tensions in the relationship between Milei and the Catholic Church since the beginning of his presidential career The president described Pope Francis as “the representative of evil on earth.”a situation that led to major reparations promoted by priests from popular neighborhoods.
Afterward, The president apologized, met with Jorge Bergoglio and held an audience at the Vatican. Some time later, the then Pope questioned the police’s use of pepper spray during a pensioners’ demonstration.
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In this context, statements from bishops have been added, including the President of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference, Marcelo Colombowho referred to the United States’ financial support to the Argentine government: “What will be given in return? What is the fine print? Because obviously if the almsgiving is large… One might think that there are also too many demandsWe’ll have to see…”
Objections to the official decision were also expressed from church circles Do not increase funding allocations for the health system and care for people with disabilities. Likewise, comments were made on the confrontational style of the President, who was moderate after the parliamentary elections of October 26, in a scenario marked by opinion polls and proposals linked to the need for legislative consensus.
This was pointed out by areas close to the church A distant connection to the government could affect Pope Leo XIV’s eventual visit to Argentina. The Pope expressed on various occasions his intention to travel to the country to replace the visit that Francis was unable to make. The itinerary would include Uruguay and possibly Peru, and the second half of next year is being assessed as one of the possible dates.
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In this context, the question of the President’s interest in this visit was also raised. Leo XIV maintains social positions consistent with those of his predecessorwith references to the social teaching of the church and positions on migration that led to it Differences with US President Donald Trump for his deportation policy.
In the same period Milei received the American pastor Franklin GrahamSon of Billy Graham, who refereed two games at Vélez Stadium. He also held an audience with the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Yosefwho was present accompanied by Rabbi Isaac Sacca and the Israeli ambassador Eyal Sela.
Letters between the government and the church at Christmas
To reduce tension, On the occasion of Christmas, the Argentine Bishops’ Conference and the national government exchanged institutional messages. These texts contained references to social coexistence and care for vulnerable groups such as pensioners and people in poverty.
The official response was signed by President Javier Milei and was issued in response to the Christmas greeting that the Catholic Church sends every year.
In his message, the President highlighted the proposal linked to the institutional dialogue: “I appreciate the call for reflection, social peace and commitment to the common good. We continue to work tirelessly to create the conditions that make it possible for every Argentine.” develop with dignity, freedom and real opportunities for progressespecially to care for those who find themselves in situations of greater vulnerability,” he noted.
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The President noted the Church’s willingness to collaborate in initiatives to promote social well-being and reiterated its decision to maintain a respectful relationship with institutions within the framework of the rule of law.
Finally, Milei sent his greetings to the authorities and members of the Argentine Bishops’ Conferencewished them a “Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year” and reiterated its institutional considerations.
NG/LT
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