A Catholic priest in Buenos Aires (Argentina) interrupted the celebration of Mass to begin shouting, as a political harangue, the slogan “The Homeland is not for sale,” which was then chanted by him and by the parishioners who attended the Eucharist. on Sunday, June 9.
For the political proclamation, the priest interrupted the Presentation of the Offerings, when the priest presents to God the gifts of bread and wine that, later, in the Consecration, will become the Body and Blood of Christ.
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The moment went viral on social networks. The slogan “the Homeland is not for sale” is usually chanted in political mobilizations, especially against the government of Javier Milei.
“The country is not for sale”: A priest and parishioners sing a song against Milei during mass
A new controversy has been generated in Argentina, after a video was published in which a priest can be heard singing and parishioners haranguing Javier Milei, in the middle of mass. pic.twitter.com/MiGmqwklCy
— Jorge (@JorgeBoo338437) June 11, 2024
The protagonist was Father Carlos Saracini, Passionist Missionary and parish priest of the parish of the Holy Cross, who made the proclamation in a Sunday Mass that had as a special intention the memory of the recently deceased Nora Cortiñas, member of the Madres de Plaza organization of Mayo-Founding Line; and Víctor Ernesto Pérez Esquivel, son of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.
The parish of Santa Cruz is a symbol for human rights groups, since the temple housed relatives of those who disappeared during the dictatorship, and kidnappings even took place there in 1977.
In dialogue with radio SplendidFather Carlos Saracini admitted having starred in the moment: “I started the chant of ‘the Homeland is not for sale’ because it is not for sale, it is our resources, our people, our work (…) The chant interprets what many we believe, that is why it can be prayer.
“We must remember and it seemed pertinent to me that the song be part of the offering, due to the terrible situation as a country that we are experiencing,” he insisted, ensuring that “in this context, it is pertinent to sing it.”
Consulted by ACI Prensa, the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires said that it will not issue any statement regarding what happened.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.