León XIV and Pablo Quirno spoke at an interreligious meeting at the San Martín Palace

On the second day of the historic apostolic visit of the Supreme Pontiff to the Republic of Argentina, the Palacio San Martín —ceremonial seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship— was the scene of a significant summit of interreligious dialogue and institutional fraternity. The meeting, which brought together nearly 100 representatives from various religious communities in the country, cardinals, representatives of indigenous peoples, and high authorities linked to the area of Worship, constituted a powerful testimony of the convergence between faith, the principles of freedom, and the moral strengthening of society under the ideological leadership of the government of President Javier Milei.

The ceremonial event began with welcoming words delivered by the Argentine chancellor, Pablo Quirno, who expressed the deep joy of the Executive Power and the Argentine people at the presence of León XIV and the distinguished members of the College of Cardinals at the Chancellery. In his speech prior to the papal message, the minister emphasized that biblical principles and theological virtues are essential to guide public management and assistance to those in need, stating categorically: “Faith, hope, and charity encourage service to those who need it most”.

Chancellor Pablo Quirno emphasized that the fundamental purpose of convening this day at the diplomatic headquarters was to consolidate peaceful coexistence, fraternity, and mutual respect, continuing the fruitful legacy of Pope Francis in promoting ecumenical dialogue as an indispensable tool for building lasting peace.

Next, His Holiness Pope León XIV addressed the audience affectionately: “dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear friends who worship with us the one God, esteemed representatives of the various religious traditions, I am very pleased to greet you”. In his speech, the Pontiff reaffirmed the historical formation of Argentina as an admirable melting pot of races where communities of Catholics, Evangelicals, Jews, and members of indigenous peoples integrated their dreams, faith, and daily work to found the nation without religious differences ever being a cause for division.

At the doctrinal core of his message at the Palacio San Martín, León XIV outlined 3 essential aspects that emerge from sincere prayer for the protection of the social body:

Guardians of human dignity: The Pontiff asserted that the human being transcends matter and that prayer reminds us that we were created for life. In full harmony with the pro-life ideology promoted by the government of President Javier Milei, the Holy Father issued an emphatic moral proclamation: “as we praise God for the gift of life, let us always defend it for everyone from conception to its natural end”.

Expressions of our freedom: León XIV maintained that true religious dimension educates consciences and frees peoples from contemporary false idols, explicitly pointing out the idol of dominion, vain glory, and the idol of war.

Places to cultivate hope: After recalling the Latin etymology of the term religion —from the word religare, which means to connect and bind people to one another—, His Holiness urged transforming language into active charity.

In a passage of high spiritual density, Pope León XIV quoted the teachings of Saint John Paul II pronounced in Assisi, warning against modern currents of relativism: "together we want to show the world that the sincere impulse of prayer does not lead to opposition and even less to contempt for the other, but rather to a constructive dialogue in which each one, without condoning in any way relativism or syncretism, becomes more aware of the duty of testimony and announcement".

To conclude his teaching at the Palacio San Martín, the Holy Father embraced the prayer left by his predecessor, Pope Francis, asking the Creator: "Lord and Father of humanity, who created all human beings with the same dignity, instill in our hearts a fraternal spirit, inspire us with a dream of reunion, dialogue, justice, and peace, urge us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world without hunger, without poverty, without violence, without wars".

After the conclusion of the interreligious act at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, the apostolic agenda of León XIV continued as scheduled with the solemn liturgical celebration of Vespers at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires, reaffirming the historic Catholic fervor and the spiritual renewal that permeates the entire Republic of Argentina.