Argentina: Cardenal affirms that lowering the age of imputability is not the way

The Archbishop of Córdoba (Argentina), Cardinal Ángel Sixto Rossi, spoke about some current issues in the country, among them the National Government’s proposal to lower the age at which criminals could go to prison, which according to the regime current is 16 years.

In an interview with University Radio, the cardinal made reference to the socioeconomic situation of Argentina, seven months after the beginning of the Government of Javier Milei. “I believe that reality is not easy, it was not easy before either, we have to be realistic, it is not that poverty started now, nor with this government, we come from difficult decades,” he acknowledged.

In Argentina there is “a hope” that surprises

In this context, he highlighted: “The people have a hope that surprises me, and from which one has to learn. There is a non-naive hope, a hope of the heart, and I believe we need it.”

However, he admitted that, although “it takes time”, there are aspects that “have worsened in this sense of poverty, we continue waiting but today one notices that there are things that have worsened, today there is more poverty, today it costs more ‘hold the pot’.”

“There is a lot of talk about the need to take care of the macroeconomy and it seems to me, of course, to be very correct, but at some point macroeconomics has to go down to the table, it has to go down to the food plate, it has to go down to the medicines. Nowadays, many of our retirees have to choose between eating and taking medication,” the cardinal lamented.

Regarding the bill presented by the National Government to lower the age of imputability from 16 to 13 years, he said: “I think it is not the best way, it would be good to think of another way, especially in the line of education, in Ultimately, all our children who commit crimes at such a young age are children who are uneducated, who are on the streets,” he considered.

“Of course the victim suffers, having a relative kill a 15-year-old child, can certainly feel a lot of anger, but structurally I believe that the most real solution has to go the other way, it has to be along the lines of containment, in the line of work and education for children.”

The current government of Javier Milei has promoted the change in the age at which minors could go to prison, under the motto “adult crime, adult penalty”, as he told the Todo Noticias channel. “If he has the conscience to commit a crime as an adult, why isn’t he going to pay as an adult?” Questioned the president.

For the Argentine cardinal, however, these types of proposals are “palliative” and “the path is another.”

Cardinal Rossi also referred to the conflict that arose months ago as a result of it becoming known that the Ministry of Human Capital He kept food in his possession that was close to expiring, which should be given to the poorest, due to a certain lack of trust on the part of the Government towards those who manage the soup kitchens: “Of course we must take care and expose the blackmailers, or those who steal, but Be careful not to put everyone in the same bag because there are very worthy people, who work heroically every day to feed their loved ones and the children in their neighborhood, for example.”

“We must praise those simple people, who not only think about themselves, but above all think about the needs of the people on their block, in their neighborhood, and they go out of their way to feed them, sometimes from their own poverty. ”.

Regarding the relationship with the political class, the cardinal considered that the Catholic Church “has to be close to the people, it has to support measures that can be positive, and at the same time, in a healthy way, help by being critical in the things that one believes that they have to be improved. I think the challenge is to be close to people, accompany people, celebrate their beautiful things and lend a hand with whatever they may need.”

Will Pope Francis travel to Argentina?

Finally, when asked about the possibility of a visit by Pope Francis to Argentina, the cardinal said: “If I tell you that I know, I’m lying to you. The trip is pending.” With the September pastoral trip to Asia and Oceania, the longest of his pontificatethe Holy Father will evaluate “if he has the option” to later arrive in his native country, he indicated.

The reason for his visit “is no longer a political issue,” he said, but rather “it will depend more on his state of health.”

“I think there is an intention to come, and it would certainly be something nice. I think he wants it,” said the Jesuit cardinal, who shared ten years of his life with the Pope because they both belonged to the Society of Jesus.