The Francis Inheritance - another liturgically repressive Bishop appointed in South America
The Holy See's bulletin of May 28 reports a series of episcopal changes in Latin America. Among them, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of the Archbishop of Paraná, Juan Alberto Puiggari, and appointed Monsignor Raúl Martín, currently the Bishop of Santa Rosa, in his place.
According to the statement, Monsignor Martín—born in Buenos Aires in 1957, ordained a priest in 1990, and Bishop since 2006—has held various positions in parish ministry, catechetical ministry, and administration. He was Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires and then, since 2013, Bishop of Santa Rosa. He serves on the Council for Economic Affairs of the Argentine Episcopal Conference.
The appointment, in itself discreet, has nevertheless sparked a strong reaction among the faithful who remember Martín's tenure in La Pampa. Not because of his missionary zeal or his pastoral charisma, but because of a long list of grievances and humiliations inflicted on ordinary Catholics—priests and laypeople—who simply wanted to live their faith with reverence and freedom.
When the problem Is kneeling
For years, serious episodes have been documented in Santa Rosa: altar boys publicly reprimanded for kneeling, children denied First Communion for wanting to receive it kneeling, choirs forbidden to sing in Latin, and priests transferred or marginalized for not conforming to the dominant ideological "model."
Local faithful reported that Martín even visited parishes expressly to ensure that no one received Communion kneeling. As if the enemy were piety.
The Murri Case: a revealing expulsion
One of the most telling episodes was that of Father Luis Murri, forced to leave the diocese after more than two decades of service. In his farewell letter—published in full in 2019—the priest describes how he was accused of “not contributing,” of having a pastoral style that “broke unity.”
Without assessing his career in its entirety, what is relevant is the objective fact: a priest was removed for ideological reasons, for upholding practices and positions that have never been condemned by the Church and that have been common for centuries.
Reform or continuity?
The blog Caminante Wanderer expressed it with resignation: “With the Bishops that Francis left us, there isn't much that Pope Leo can do.” Many Catholics hoped that the new pontiff would begin to reverse the damage caused by years of pastoral engineering. But Martin's appointment suggests continuity rather than reform.
Ideological obedience vs. Catholic freedom
Episcopal appointments should not be rewards for the ability to control, silence, or intimidate. It is not a sign of unity to impose a form of pastoral care in which reverence is seen as provocation and doctrinal obedience as personal disloyalty.
This is not about aesthetic preferences or "sensibilities." It is about freedom. It is about allowing the faithful to live their Catholic faith naturally, without anyone—least of all a bishop—treating them as suspects for the way they kneel, pray, or celebrate.
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