Pope Francis returns to the center of a heated political clash in the nation. The appointment of Jorge García Cuerva as the new Archbishop of Buenos Aires places a cleric who is both theologian and lawyer at the core of pastoral leadership in Río Gallegos, Patagonia, and in the historic Kirchner stronghold. The move fuels controversy as Argentina edges toward its October elections, pulling Peronists, traditional conservatives, and far-right groups into a fresh round of debate.
The new archbishop for Argentina’s leading diocese is 55 years old and will succeed Archbishop Cardinal Mario Poli, who stepped down at 75 in July. Experts suggest Cuerva’s profile aligns closely with the Pope’s vision, mirroring the path he walked during his time leading Buenos Aires while known as Jorge Bergoglio.
García Cuerva was ordained in 1997. His initial assignment took him to La Cava, a small parish network on the outskirts of San Isidro, just north of Buenos Aires. He lived in a tin-roofed dwelling there. La Cava sits beside a luxury enclave, separated by a wall that marks stark social divides: infrastructure scarce on one side, opulence on the other. The contrast is palpable, with surveillance and fear etched into the environment. The phrase “We are the same” is painted along those walls. The wall itself has become a symbol for the city, embodying the social inequality that the new archbishop understands all too well as he expands his mission to the most precarious neighborhoods and the province’s prisons.
Saint Óscar Romero as a touchstone
A portrait of San Óscar Arnulfo Romero often shows up in García Cuerva’s communications. Local media note a personal badge on his phone reading “Bishop and martyr.” This affinity to Romero sits alongside links to Peronist circles, including Economy Minister and potential presidential candidate in October, Sergio Massa. Once the appointment circulated, a laudatory sermon about the late Juan Domingo Perón began circulating on social media. Those words irritated sectors of Catholicism that prefer more secular, oppositional stances.
Critics note that Rodrigo Vázquez, a former military chaplain, described Cuerva with several labels—“Peronist,” “Kirchnerista,” “Francisquista,” and even “gay.” After baptizing the twin children of a celebrated trans performer, Florencia de la V, Vázquez attributed to Cuerva a supposed aim of backing “terrorism,” the LGTBIQ movement, and “all this nonsense.” A public apology followed, yet the remarks were read as a sign of broader discomfort. The newspaper La Nación reflected on growing discontent and suggested Cuerva’s arrival may signal a decisive religious stance in a potentially shifting political landscape ahead of the October elections.
Francis’ role in the unfolding drama has drawn renewed scrutiny. Bergoglio—now Pope Francis—has not visited Argentina since his elevation in 2013. During his years as Archbishop, he clashed with the Kirchners, recalling how he once faced pressure during the darkest days of a dictatorship era. Since Vatican leadership, he has shown closer lines of communication with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner than with the 2015 successor, Mauricio Macri, a right-leaning former president.
On the tenth anniversary of his papacy, Francis received a letter of congratulations from both ruling party leaders and the opposition. The gesture—signed by figures across the political spectrum—was celebrated as a moment of unity. President Alberto Fernández expressed gratitude for the crossing of political divides and the collective aspiration to move the country forward, a sentiment echoed by Vice President Cristina Kirchner and the capital’s mayor, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. As García Cuerva’s archdiocesan leadership becomes a focal point, observers anticipate how Bergoglio’s wishes might shape the path ahead for the church and the country. A note of caution remains, as many see the archbishopric as a potential barometer for the direction of religious leadership during a pivotal electoral period.