In Argentina's election, Catholics aren't hiding dislike for far-right candidate Milei

With the upcoming presidential runoff in Argentina on Nov. 19, a significant number of Catholics, including notable clergymen, are making no effort to conceal their efforts to oppose the far-right contender, Javier Milei. Milei has publicly berated Pope Francis, and his criticisms have not gone unnoticed by the Catholic community.

Milei, who identifies as an anarcho-capitalist and seeks to notably decrease the scale of the Argentine government, secured 30% of the ballots during the initial phase of the presidential election held on October 22nd.

Fr. José María "Pepe" di Paola, who is responsible for the team of "slum priests" (known as curas villeros in Spanish) at the Buenos Aires Archdiocese, has been one of the most vocal critics of Milei. Working alongside numerous colleagues, di Paola arranged a Mass of reparation on September 5th in response to Milei's repeated insults towards Francis in interviews and on social media.

On November 2, di Paola was interviewed by Télam and mentioned Milei, saying that "any religious person would reject election proposals that lack humanity." Although some Argentine bishops have tried to disassociate themselves from di Paola - with unnamed religious figures telling Valores Religiosos that di Paola expresses his opinions alone - some believe that not only has the clergy attempted to interfere with and prevent Milei's success, but the pope also.

According to Marcos Carbonelli, a sociologist who studies religious trends in Argentina and is an expert on the country's religious landscape, some factions of the church have clearly expressed their disapproval of Milei.

Carbonelli explained to NCR that the part of the media has depicted Milei as an evil individual who opposes anything that emerges from the masses.

According to the sociologist, Milei has been a frequent topic of discussion during Masses held throughout the nation. Additionally, the expert referenced Milei's trip to Luján on September 30th, during which he visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján – a significant location for Argentina as it is the patron saint of the country.

While on the trip, Carbonelli noticed numerous banners protesting Milei's concepts and advocating for the church's social doctrine.

Milei became famous in Argentina over the last ten years for sharing his radical socioeconomic viewpoints on television news programs. He is a follower of conservative economists such as Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises, which has contributed to his notoriety.

Milei frequently voices his critiques of Francis as a means of conveying his radical opinions about the government's involvement in the economy.

In the past, Francis shared on social media how crucial it is to pay taxes as it can aid those in need. However, Milei did not share the same sentiment and accused the pope of supporting "evil". Furthermore, in a television appearance last year, Milei slammed the pope for advocating social justice and labeled him as an ignorant person occupying the Vatican.

Fr. Paco Olvera, originally from Spain and involved with the Priests for the Option for the Poor group, stated that Milei believes that the government's implementation of economic redistribution is akin to satanic work.

Olvera believes that Milei's economic agenda and the Gospel are in direct conflict.

According to Olvera, the core principle of the Gospel is brotherhood. He believes that it emphasizes the notion that each individual should be responsible for their own well-being rather than relying on assistance from the government.

Francisco Bosch, a non-professional theologian who supports grassroots religious communities in Latin America, noted that Milei's bid for office marks the initial occasion where progressive Catholic groups received backing from higher-ranking members of the church in their efforts to protest against a political contender.

The recent elections in Argentina were unusually focused on religion, even though the country has been becoming more secular. Bosch, speaking to NCR, noted that the critiques that Milei made about Catholic social principles caused the church to speak out more passionately about their beliefs.

Bosch mentioned that Francis had personally conducted an interview with Télam ahead of the initial round of the elections. During the interview, he appeared to mention Milei, albeit not directly.

Francis expressed his strong fear of pied pipers as they possess the charm to captivate people. Unlike snake charmers who he wouldn't mind, people charmers have the potential to lead individuals to tragic consequences. Moreover, he emphasized that the current financial instability cannot be fixed by individuals playing tunes on flutes, claiming that such actions will not bring redemption.

The declaration was interpreted in Argentina as a distinct communication opposing Milei's extreme propositions, such as adopting the U.S. dollar as the national currency, closing the central bank, and greatly reducing the government's expenses.

Several experts believe that Milei's suggestions are entirely unrealistic. However, his approach of backing them up through a captivating public display along with snarkiness and swearing, has gathered a considerable number of followers, primarily among the youth.

During the primary elections held in August, Milei got the highest number of votes among all candidates, with nearly 30% backing. Following him closely were Patricia Bullrich, a former security minister with conservative views, and Sergio Massa, the current economic minister and a center-left candidate.

A lot of people in the nation had the idea that Milei would emerge as the triumphant in the primary round of voting, maybe even becoming the elected head without any requirement of a second round. However, he concluded up trailing behind Massa, who initially ran for the leader position in 2015.

Susana Traversi, a lay Catholic residing in Buenos Aires, revealed that there has been an increase in the participation of voters who oppose Milei's potentially ruling the country. According to Traversi, Milei's concepts are in no way in line with the country's political traditions, and for this reason, a significant portion of the electorate intends to campaign against him.

Traversi, a member of a Catholic group based in Avellaneda that advocates for human rights, explained that her organization, alongside other non-clergy movements in the area, organized and took part in numerous rallies and events to protest against Milei.

"We are currently advocating for Massa. Even those individuals who have been negatively affected by the ongoing financial downturn will cast their ballot in favor of him," she expressed.

According to Traversi, the clergy's involvement in politics has only been as prominent as it was in 1983 when the church primarily aided in restoring Argentine institutions after the military dictatorship.

"Now is not the time to remain impartial. This is why even religious figures have been speaking out against him," she stated.

According to Ana Belén Molina, a non-professional who collaborates with grassroots movements in the northeast of Chaco province in Argentina, numerous campaigners in the area have been going door-to-door, warning citizens about the potential consequences of casting their vote for Milei ever since the election preparations commenced.

She said that the main aim is to make individuals understand that the government project proposed by Milei goes against the Gospel teachings, undermines the social principles of the Church, and jeopardizes four decades of efforts that were dedicated to securing social justice.

According to Molina, the pontiff's statements made during the campaign deeply resonated with numerous Argentine Catholics. This was especially the case when he spoke about deceitful spiritual leaders who despise the impoverished.

She announced that she will continue to commit herself to the work until the second round of elections on November 19th, "speaking with a clear and consistent evangelical message."