The Argentine priest Javier Olivera Ravasi, whose authorization to reside in that diocese was revoked days ago by the Bishopric of Zárate-Campana, referred to the situation in a recent statement.
The decision of the Bishopric came after it became known that the priest was linked to a visit by legislators from the ruling bloc La Libertad Avanza, to former soldiers detained for crimes committed in the last military dictatorship in Argentina, a fact that generated rejection in the Argentine Episcopal Conference. .
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He message by Father Olivera Ravasi addresses his followers of his Catholic apologetics project Don’t let them tell you (QNTLC)and responds to “the many messages” he received through social networks.
“Thank you all for the support and love. It has been a balm for my soul. “I am very well, calm and with a strong spirit,” said the priest.
“They have asked me for a change of destination and we will do so,” he reported, acknowledging that “things could have been different,” but trusting that “nothing escapes the Providence of God.”
“In the meantime, we will continue fighting the good fight that Saint Paul speaks of. God bless you very much and I entrust myself to his prayers,” he concluded.
What is the residence situation of Father Olivera Ravasi?
Regarding his residence, the spokesperson for the Bishopric of San Rafael, Father José Álvarez, explained to San Rafael Diary: “Ravasi trained at the Institute of the Incarnate Word and requested incardination in the Diocese of San Rafael. This means that every priest has to have a relationship of authority with a Bishop. The bishops are the successors of the apostles and they are the ones who govern the Church. At that time, Bishop Emeritus Eduardo María Taussig incardinated him in San Rafael.”
“He was a member of this local Church for a very short time. He was always focused more on educational tasks. He never had much exposure to the community. After being here for a little over a year, Ravasi requested a leave of absence.”
“This concept refers to when a priest seeks to do a task different from what he does in his diocese of origin, and finds a bishop who receives him in his jurisdiction. “This is how the bishop of Zárate-Campana accepted his transfer,” the spokesperson explained.
“Things have happened over the course of this time. The Diocese of San Rafael changed authority and there was a certain delay in completing some procedures. Priest Ravasi’s condition changed because his leave of absence expired, but his residence permit was not revoked in the other diocese. Many times it happens that a permit is extended. Until that moment there was no objection from the bishop of that place,” he continued.
“When the alleged meeting of libertarians and genocidaires becomes public through the media, they take away your residence permit. The bishopric of Zárate-Campana does not make a specific mention of that episode, but generally refers to the fact that the presence of the priest Ravasi is no longer required within that diocese.”
“Let’s say that he was left in a situation of irregularity, therefore, he should submit to the authority of the Bishop of San Rafael. His case is being treated, but it will not have an immediate resolution. Bishop Carlos María Domínguez is traveling and that would delay the issue a little,” he concluded.
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.