Argentine President Alberto Fernandez broke protocol and delivered a few words during the Te Deum held on Thursday at the Buenos Aires Cathedral on the occasion of the national holiday of May 25. Traditionally, May 25 marks the expulsion of the Spanish viceroy in 1810, but in 2023 it signified the 20th anniversary of Néstor Kirchner's coming to power, which is what Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) would later celebrate under heavy rain in Plaza de Mayo.
Thursday's Te Deum was a last for Argentine President Alberto Fernández, but also for Buenos Aires Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli, who will retire later this year after succeeding Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when the latter became Pope Francis in 2013. Fernández shall not be seeking reelection and thus will complete his term on Dec. 9.
Argentines with the support of the Catholic Church and a message from Pope Francis, on Sunday turned an annual religious celebration into a massive rally to protest growing unrest over unemployment, recession, inflation and a promised second half of the year rebound which remains absent.
Argentina's cabinet chief Marcos Pena said president Mauricio Macri administration was “100% in agreement” with the Catholic church 25 May Day message “to leave aside statistics, think in the Argentine people and not fight among ourselves”.