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Posted on 11/09/2026 9:10:11 AM PST by ebb tide
Archbishop Héctor Rubén Aguer is the Archbishop Emeritus of La Plata, Argentina. Born in Buenos Aires on 24 May 1943, he was ordained a priest in 1972 and served as Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires from 1992 to 1998 before being appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of La Plata. He governed the archdiocese as its seventh archbishop from 2000 until his retirement in 2018.
As Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to Argentina is now underway, Archbishop Aguer speaks with AdVaticanum about the meaning of the papal visit. His Grace offers a frank assessment of the state of the Church in Argentina after twelve years of Pope Francis, the impact of the “theology of the people”, the crisis of vocations and seminary closures, and the growing interest among younger Catholics in orthodoxy and tradition. He also discusses the severe restrictions placed on the Traditional Latin Mass, the difference between authentic communion and the recent emphasis on “synodality”, and the urgent need for liturgical and doctrinal peace under the new pontificate. Finally, he speaks of his own nearly twenty years in La Plata, the priests he ordained and the prayers and sufferings he offers for Pope Leo XIV and the Church.
AV: What is the deeper background of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina? Beyond the official itinerary, what does this trip represent for the Argentine Church and for the country’s faithful after so many years without a papal visit?
☨ HA: The visit of Pope Leo XIV, as Vicar of Jesus Christ and successor of Saint Peter, must serve to confirm us in the Faith in our one Lord. That is the irreplaceable mission of the Pontiff. Jesus Himself entrusted it to him: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22:31-32).
Nearly forty years ago, in April 1987, during his visit to our country, Pope Saint John Paul II made an urgent appeal to the Church in Argentina: “Arise and shine.” That remains a pending task. In 1960, 90 per cent of Argentines declared themselves Catholic; today it is barely 57 per cent. And we continue in free fall. The lack of faith about which the Lord warned Peter has wreaked havoc in our society. Of course, one cannot expect magical results.
A papal visit is always welcome. What matters, in any case, is to renew, together with Peter, faith in Christ, and to fulfil what He commands us: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). That is why we exist: to baptise, to sanctify the children of God and to prepare them for Heaven. The salvation of souls is the supreme law of the Church. Therefore, without any kind of complexes or discounts, we must teach them to observe all that the Lord commands.
AV: Has there been any political controversy surrounding the decision to make this visit, due to the current climate between the Church hierarchy and the government of President Milei?
☨ HA: From various quarters, there is always an attempt to politicise papal journeys. This has happened with all the popes. As a Church, however, we cannot fall into that trap. The Pope comes to confirm his children in the faith, to seek out those who have drifted away and to call those who do not know Christ or His Church. That, then, is the principal mission. It is regrettable to see how, with various pettinesses, the image of the successor of Saint Peter is sought to be used. The Pope does not come to take sides with any leader or to disqualify anyone. He comes to show us that Jesus Christ is the one Lord of History. And that the true happiness of peoples, as the encyclical Quas primas (whose centenary was observed in 2025) so clearly recalls, lies in Christ being recognised and adored as King of the universe and of the nations. And that societies, consequently, be founded upon the Gospel.
AV: How would you assess the overall legacy of Pope Francis? Which aspects of his pontificate do you consider most significant or lasting, and which do you believe will continue to shape the Church in Argentina and beyond?
☨ HA: Pope Francis, formed in the “theology of the people” (the Argentine version of liberation theology) by the fellow Jesuit Juan Carlos Scannone, has filled the Argentine episcopate with progressivism. The cascade of appointments made for our country during his twelve years of pontificate, with, for example, very young auxiliary bishops, gravely conditions the coming decades. In Argentina, the Church has almost completely lost its presence in the cultural mainstream. Turned almost exclusively toward “the social”, the clear, firm and unapologetic proclamation of Jesus Christ is conspicuous by its absence.
We thus have empty seminaries, empty convents and a dramatic shortage of priests. Entire congregations are dying for lack of vocations. Being accused of being “insufficiently synodal” or of not being open to the “culture of encounter” leads to suffering various forms of exile. Or is “encounter” being confused with a mere gathering? Are we not all believers, and priests all the more so, called to have a liberating and personal encounter with Christ, and to lead other brothers and sisters to Him?
During the years of Francis, the seminaries of San Rafael and San Luis were closed in Argentina; both were noted for the good formation received there by future priests. Other seminaries that also had sound doctrine now hover between insignificance and extinction. There are dioceses that have more bishops than seminarians. These are only a few examples of that free-fall decline I mentioned earlier.
We see as positive signs, nonetheless, the new generations of both laypeople and religious and priests: there is a growing interest in orthodoxy and tradition. Only from there can we imagine a different future.
AV: Why, in your view, did Pope Francis never visit Argentina during his twelve-year pontificate? What factor do you believe weighed most heavily in that decision?
☨ HA: It has been said repeatedly that Pope Francis did not wish to come to Argentina so as not to be “used” politically. This is a very weak argument. As I said, all papal visits to all countries are always sought to be politicised. But the Pope is not there to place himself on one side or the other, but in the centre and above. There, rooted beside the Lord, he must lead his children.
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We thus have empty seminaries, empty convents and a dramatic shortage of priests. Entire congregations are dying for lack of vocations. Being accused of being “insufficiently synodal” or of not being open to the “culture of encounter” leads to suffering various forms of exile. Or is “encounter” being confused with a mere gathering? Are we not all believers, and priests all the more so, called to have a liberating and personal encounter with Christ, and to lead other brothers and sisters to Him?
During the years of Francis, the seminaries of San Rafael and San Luis were closed in Argentina; both were noted for the good formation received there by future priests. Other seminaries that also had sound doctrine now hover between insignificance and extinction. There are dioceses that have more bishops than seminarians. These are only a few examples of that free-fall decline I mentioned earlier.
Ping
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