Four years after his inauguration as Archbishop of Córdoba, which ended on December 17, Monsignor Ángel Sixto Rossi refrained from internal assessments or formal celebrations. However, the anniversary introduced him to question the present with a critical, uncomfortable eye and without euphemisms. Have a relaxed chat Córdoba profile Because of his dual status as archbishop and cardinal, but above all because of his daily contact with the most vulnerable populations, Rossi described the ethical limits of adaptation, questioned the culture of individualism and warned against a political leadership that, in his opinion, has lost sensitivity to social suffering.
—What movements are you observing in social reality during this time at the head of the archdiocese?
“I see the richest getting richer and less rich.” And then there is a tarnished middle class that is actually getting poorer. Sometimes I see people going through trash cans and judging by their clothing and profile, they are not beggars. Even assuming that inflation has calmed down – although that is not entirely clear – it is clear that poverty has increased.
—And how does the situation affect the sectors that were already at risk?
– It honestly scares me. There are projects and decisions that seem to forget fragility. It defies common sense not to care for the most vulnerable. I think of the poorest people, but also of disabilities and sick children. Now Congress has put an end to it (the national government’s intention to repeal the Disability Emergency Law), thank God. I cannot believe that there is such inhumanity in some of the proposals. Of course abuse needs to be brought under control, but from there putting everyone in the same bag and closing the doors is a huge step forward. This is civic decadence and perhaps also spiritual. When a project or program is worth more than the person, or a number is worth more than a face, we start making mistakes.
—How do you observe the way these realities are communicated from power?
—Look: We priests may have thousands of faults and sins, but we know the reality of people well. That’s why I find it very difficult to understand this kind of triumphalism that is communicated from power. I thought we hadn’t reached Mars yet, but it seems like they’re talking about Mars, or I don’t know where. Optimism must be realistic; neither fanciful nor this triumphalistic and caricatured thing that embarrasses others.
“It does not seem clear whether the impoverishment of the Argentine working class is a mistake or the model we are aiming for.”
“What I can tell you is that I lived in Ecuador for a while about 20 years ago and I remember that they looked at us with admiration, assuming that we belonged to an intellectual middle class that supported Argentina, and that they had not.” And it was like that. Today this difference no longer exists. This middle class has collapsed. I remember seeing armed people guarding the neighborhoods there, while here there was none of that. Today we are the same. That’s why I say that we shouldn’t be fascinated by projects that are not our own and that we need to look back at our people and listen more to our elders.
—He speaks of “projects that are not ours.” Do you think there is actually any interference by the United States in what is happening in Argentina?
“What I see is that in trying to imitate the pseudo-greats, we paradoxically end up impoverishing ourselves and losing what is ours.” One suspects that they are not betting on us emotionally, but that some of our resources will be useful. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think they view us with affection, but rather with comfort. It’s sad that we don’t realize it. Or that when we recognize it, we surrender to it. It’s evil naivety.
Periodic climate
For Monsignor Rossi, the apparently established social principle of “every man for himself” is leading to an exacerbation of inequalities, although he looks to the youth with hope.
—How do you think this “culture war,” which is about individualism on the one hand and the collective on the other, will be resolved?
—Individualism and so-called success are useful until you get sick or lose your job. Then everything collapses. The challenge is to put people back at the center. I think a lot about the topic of online betting. I have slapped several people and will continue to do so. Under the guise of entertainment, we gut childhood and youth. They have to choose between a young man who will be hurt by this and a company. For me the choice is obvious, but everyone is free.
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—Do you see young people caught in the ambitious spiral of wanting to achieve everything without making any effort?
—There is everything. There is the pursuit of easy success, but there are also heroic, supportive young people who are willing to give everything for others. We see it, for example, in natural disasters. But adults also have to take responsibility: a lot of what children experience is what they have learned. We must be clear about this: success without effort does not fill the heart. You like to give, not accumulate. And you don’t need religion for that. It lies in the heart of man.
—In Córdoba there is a law intended to regulate online betting. However, Social Pastoral was critical of its actual effectiveness in preventing gambling. Are you having a dialogue with the governor and mayor about these issues?
– I talk to them, yes. I appreciate the things they do well and I recognize that in many ways they help with things we couldn’t sustain. Now they know for sure that if I have to say something, I won’t silence them. This game is very concrete: you know that with me we will continue to slap each other lovingly. I won’t shut up. I won’t shut up to thank you, and I won’t shut up to criticize either. But I feel respected and listened to by them, and I also try to respect and listen to them.
—Do you have the feeling that everything is negotiable in current politics? Have personal and partisan convictions been lost?
—Well, the games are nonsense. I don’t know if they still exist. And when they exist, there is a kind of contempt for the teachings. It is clear that the doctrine endures as long as the convenience persists. I think that there are definitely still very active people who you may or may not agree with, but who respect their ideals. And there are others who are ashamed, who have lost their modesty. Pope Francis said one of the final steps of corruption is the loss of humility. When you no longer have shame, you no longer hide. Some are in this place.
—Should the church participate in the training of political leaders?
– Criticism has always said that it should not go into politics, but the church cannot not be political. I’m not saying that we have to be weak parties, but I am saying that we have a lot to say. What politics has in common with ours is people’s hearts. We have to talk about the conflicts of social life. If not, you fall into a kind of disembodied spiritualism. The church must listen to different positions, but always pay attention to the common good of the people.
The Conclave and Leo XIV: “Follow in the footsteps of Francis”
The journey of Monsignor Angel Rossi had a unique milestone this year: his participation as cardinal in the conclave that elected Leo XIV. “It was a very powerful experience, very unusual. “The conclusion I have drawn is that the Holy Spirit continues to work, he has not retired.” said. With regard to the new pontificate, he expressed his expectations and confidence: “It’s not that he’s Francisco, but essentially he’s following in his footsteps.” He also emphasized the pope’s commitment “to peace, migrants and a synodal church” and praised his “very deep spirituality, but down to earth.”
Ángel Rossi, as cardinal, takes a leading role in the meetings before the conclave
Rossi recognizes the same depth in the experiences that the anniversary year – which ends on December 28th – has witnessed, particularly in the one he experienced in October Cotolengo Don Orione, together with people with disabilities. “It was like entering a holy temple”he remembered. This was just one of the encounters with different “worlds” (including communication, health, justice) in which the Archbishop took part as part of the Jubilee, whose motto was “Pilgrims of Hope”.
In a time characterized by materialism, Rossi feels there is a rebound effect a beginning return to spirituality, especially among young people and his renewed approach to the church post-pandemic. “This century will be mystical, because everything else has an upper limit, it is not enough. In the heart is the most beautiful thing in each of us,” he reflected.
Four years after taking office as Archbishop of Córdoba, he defines himself as an “apprentice” and admits that this period was marked by “Landing in worlds that may not have been the most visited” and for the challenge of being “as close as possible to my fellow priesthood brothers and of course to the people.” With Christmas approaching, his message was simple and profound: “Don’t let the table get smaller. There’s always room for someone else.” And he concluded with an image that summarizes his view: “May the heart of every person and the heart of the world be a manger that receives the messenger of peace.”
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