Social Week in Argentina: Catholic Church puts human dignity at the center of dialogue

With the motto “Human dignity and integral development”, Buenos Aires (Argentina) hosted the celebration of Social Week, organized by the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral.

The Social Week took place on October 1 and 2, with different panels of speakers who delved into topics that affect current society in Argentina.

In the opening At the meeting, the Apostolic Administrator of Mar del Plata, Mons. Ernesto Giobando, thanked the forum for dialogue and search for solutions in the face of the “difficult time” that the country is going through, due to economic and social issues and the lack of employment.

In Mar del Plata, the prelate observed, there is “a constant desire for dialogue and rapprochement among all sectors to help the city be a place full of opportunities for all its inhabitants.”

For his part, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Mons. Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, reflected on the Gospel of the day, with a call to build a more united Argentina to “help each other move forward, without attacking each other, without that famous crack.” that, more than a crack, it is a wound; but a wound that brings hope that one day it will heal.”

The prelate encouraged us to be builders of dialogue and tolerance, and to seek solutions, not blame, especially given the reality of the 52.9% of Argentines who suffer from poverty, according to data for the first half of 2024.

Mons. Jorge Lugones, president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral, as host of the event, thanked those present and entrusted the Social Week to the protection of the Virgin Mary.

Throughout both days, panels were developed such as “Human dignity in the current regulatory context”, “Structural poverty: causes and consequences”, and “Education as a key to equal opportunities”.

In the afternoon, Bishop Lugones offered the conference “Human dignity and integral development.” In this framework, he addressed the link between the two, emphasizing that “human dignity is an evangelical value,” therefore it must be protected at the individual and social level.

The prelate differentiated four aspects of dignity: ontological, moral, social and existential; and considered it essential to address social problems that limit people’s dignity.

In that sense, he called for an economy with a human face, focused on the dignity of the person and not on financial speculation or sectoral profitability, and quoting Pope Francis, he noted that “inequality is the root of social evils.” .

Therefore, to achieve social peace, he called for generating distributive equity: “It is essential that economic growth be at the service of human development,” he insisted, valuing the role of popular movements to stop crime, social exclusion and drug trafficking. in vulnerable areas.

“Without love we are nothing,” concluded Bishop Lugones, urging society to an ethical and spiritual commitment in the fight for human dignity.

In the final message of Social Week 2024, the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral placed the dialogue in the context of the economic crisis marked by high inflation and unemployment, warning of the need for a just society that respects the dignity of its inhabitants.

In this framework, he highlighted the responsibility of the Catholic Church as a “prophetic voice” to denounce situations such as poverty, exclusion and exploitation.

Likewise, he considered that decent work must be the central axis of an economic model that prioritizes production and the common good over speculation and sectoral profitability. “A just society is one that respects and promotes the dignity of all people,” he stated.

Finally, the commission called for social dialogue to overcome divisions and build long-term policies, recognizing that the social fabric is divided. “We must recover the sense of community, overcoming individualism,” they urged, to achieve a more equitable and humane future.