MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Warnings of “social anarchy”.

The influential Argentine Catholic Church warned that the current economic situation in the country could lead to “social anarchy of unsuspected consequences”.

The Argentine bishops document states that Argentina carries a very heavy burden, which "we have identified as social debt", and "this situation could lead us to social anarchy".

"We're facing a long process of social moral deterioration, which, like the essence of the nation is currently running the risk of being paralyzed", added the bishops.

The lack of an adequate net to contain social despair and unrest is being replaced "by marginality and growing exclusion", reads the document.

Argentina faces one of its most serious crisis in recent history: the country has just begun its fourth year of recession, with virtually no international credit available; a growing 17% unemployment with a third of the population living in poverty conditions, plus daily protests, strikes, pickets and a political coalition in shambles.

Bishops also mentioned as two Argentines diseases, tax evasion and a wasteful government. "Both are a direct attack on social equality and fair distribution of wealth".The document makes a final appeal to all social participants to act "according to theirresponsibilities and in the framework of republican institutions.