Church Rejects 'Community Baptisms' Outside Kirchner's Detention Site

The Catholic Church has firmly rejected the idea of "community baptisms" that were being organized to take place outside the Buenos Aires residence where former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner is under house arrest. The proposed event, which circulated on social media, aimed to use the religious sacrament for political purposes.

Social media posts had promoted the gathering for September 5 at Kirchner's address, even suggesting she would serve as "spiritual godmother" and calling for her release. However, sources close to the former president stated they were unaware of who initiated the idea and confirmed the event would not proceed. They emphasized that the initiative was not shared by Kirchner's political allies.

The Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, led by Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, issued a statement clarifying that any sacrament celebrated outside of church temples requires permission from the archdiocesan ecclesiastical authority. For baptisms specifically, the consent of the local parish priest is also necessary.

Consequently, the Archdiocese declared it had not authorized any community baptisms outside of temples in the coming months. The statement concluded by stressing that the administration of Baptism is not an occasion for expressing political options of any kind, but rather a moment of faith and incorporation into the life of the Church.

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The administration of Baptism is not an occasion for expressing political options of any kind, but rather a moment of faith and incorporation into the life of the Church.