MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Macri and Fernandez embrace, for a few seconds, at the Lujan Basilica

The two leaders and their partners during the Sunday mass at Lujan

Outgoing Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his successor Alberto Fernandez embraced for a few seconds on Sunday at the Lujan Basilica, the country's main sanctuary to the Virgin Mary. The gesture was minimum and a few seconds but it was done on request from the Catholic Church.

It was significant since government switches in Argentina have not been easy, and Macri is the first non Peronist president to complete his four year mandate. The two leaders participated with their partners, and all cabinet members.

Following mass, Archbishop Jorge Scheinig called for a peace embrace, and so did the two leaders. “I am very glad to have shared the homily today at the Lujan Basilica with Mauricio Macri and political leaders from different spaces. The Argentina that is coming needs the joint effort of all of us. For that we need to end the gap that so much harm has done to all Argentines”, twitted Fernandez later

“We are all aware of what is coming, of what we are already going through in the world and in our Latin America. We need to promote the culture of encounters...we must make everything possible not to fall in the temptation of wanting to destroy the others”, said the Archbishop Scheinig.

A straight appeal to the two leaders that have adopted and accused each other of the worst intentions. Fernandez claims Macri has left a razed economy and a prostrated country, while the outgoing president alleges he set the foundations for Argentina to grow strongly and has taken the necessary measures, to that stealing when government is much more difficult.

Anyhow the two leaders embraced for a few seconds, with serious faces.

Macri on Saturday organized a huge rally in downtown Buenos Aires, at the emblematic Plaza de Mayo, and thanked the tens of thousands who convened for their support during his four years as president. He pledged a constructive opposition, non destructive and emphasized he will become a defender of democracy, institutions and freedom.