The Bishop of San Justo (Argentina), Mons. Eduardo García, had proposed in tears on April 22, at the Mass for the death of Pope Francis: they would collect signatures to create a city with his name, in gratitude to the special affection he had with the people of God who pilgrims in the diocese. Today, that dream came to the hands of Pope Leo XIV.
Almost three months after that moment, the project is real: the communities of all the parishes of the Diocese of San Justo seek to create a city with the name of Pope Francis, and the bishop traveled to Rome to share this dream with Pope Leo XIV.
Receive the main news of ACI Press by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social networks. Subscribe to our free channels today:
During the Mass for the death of Francisco, Mons. Eduardo García recalled some gestures he had with the poor neighborhoods of the La Matanza Party, in the southwest of Greater Buenos Aires, such as sending an image of San José, building a school or getting – from his bed at the Gemelli Hospital, during his last internment – the funds to raise a secondary school for disabled.
“That is a shepherd, the one who does not look at the navel, who despite being fighting death, agrees that there is a neighborhood,” the bishop then reflected.
In that framework, He shared his idea to change the “names that stigmatize”, such as Puerta de Hierro or St. Petersburg by the name of Pope Francis, as a “duty of gratitude.”
“I would like to have everyone’s support,” we are going to start signs, huh!
His desire is “that the name is transforming us and that, remembering who put his hand and his love in these neighborhoods, we encourage ourselves to grow and we encourage ourselves to live that decent life that he always wanted for all his children of the killing.”
From the San José parish, from the Puerta de Hierro neighborhood, they said that “the Papa Francisco Avanza project” and detailed that Mons. Eduardo García traveled to Rome and visited his tomb to put this dream at his feet, and also put in the hands of Pope Leo XIV the prayers so that he can be completed.
Priests and faithful of San Just social networks.
“We continue to dream, we continue working and continue to build its legacy. Pope Francis City, in the heart of La Matanza. By land, roof and work,” they concluded.
The project provides that the Pope Francis city be delimited by Cristianía and Crovara avenues, routes 4 and 21 and La Quila and El Pindo streets.
Julieta Villar
I am a journalist, a graduate in Communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non -governmental organizations. Since 2016 I dedicate myself to Catholic journalism, first in the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as a correspondent for ACI Press for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.