The honeymoon is over between Pope Francis Cristina Fernandez

OPINION

Pope Francis and President Cristina Fernandez of Argentina have ended their honeymoon, it seems. The Church talks about the unsustainable violence in Argentina while the Argentine government denies its at fault and fights back against the allegations.

“When they talk about a violent Argentina, they want to revisit old clashes,” President Cristina Fernandez said.

President Fernandez’s statements are in response to a recent document from the Argentine Episcopal Conference warning that “Argentina is sick of violence.“

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The text apparently talks about the wave of economic and social insecurity that Argentina suffers, which requires an urgent solution.

Citizens are concerned and frightened by the rates of violence and the cruel consequences on the people, as well as drug trafficking and a judicial system that cannot contain offenders within the cells of its prisons. All this is a clamor that the Argentine bishops echoed a few days ago at the conference.

The President’s reaction was unexpected. Fernandez decided to respond in an antagonistic tone to the Church from the Casa Rosada.

The Cámpora, Kirchner youth movement also attacked the  religious document. It rejected the text of the Church and pointed out that violence has erupted previously in the country in 1955, 1976, 1989 and 2001. Those times were plagued with political and economic violence, but the Conference speaks about the violence in the streets that all Argentines are suffering.

It seems that the government has interpreted these findings by the church incorrectly. The bishops weren’t talking about the climate of political tension that reigns in this country, exacerbating the irreconcilable ideological stances of both citizens and leaders. Instead, they were referring to the innocent victims of murders, robberies and assaults and the men, women and children who are not involved in any way with the conflict.

But is Fernandez just channeling the concerns of the people? Would Fernandez be right to infer that the bishops are hitting the issue on two levels?

Could she feel as the culprit responsible for dividing the Argentine people instead of uniting them in a reconciled manner?

“The climate of peace and harmony in the country is a question for the national government,” warned the spokesman for the episcopate.

The President replied, “Today we don’t have a society violently confronted (by government) as we had in the past.”

After that, Fernández wrote a series of posts on her Twitter account in which she insisted that it would be more convenient for the clergy who travels to Rome to visit the Pope to, “rather than take photos,” read to him “a little more.”

The President of the bishops replied that, “nobody can deny that there is violence in the Argentina.”

After the criticism of the President and other leaders of the government, Archbishop José María Arancedo reaffirmed the criticism of the insecurity the country suffers from. He explained that the text “is not an attack on the Government,” and that, “the Church is not pro-Government or opposition.”

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The president of bishops stated that he understands that the political leadership is aware of the serious situation of insecurity and violence because, “nobody can deny that there is violence,” but stated, “the bad thing is when it is given a political tinge.”

Well, the President is confronted with the Church of Pope Francis and its criticisms. You cannot be estranged with the bishops and on good terms with their highest authority. Unfortunately for her, Cristina Fernández and Monsignor Bergoglio were not on good terms prior to his appointment as Pope. Perhaps the honeymoon is over and it’s time to unmask their true feelings. The last thing we need is a another wave of violence. We’re hoping for a dash of good will so the country can begin to heal its painful crisis with hope on the horizon.