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Luján Youth Pilgrimage Concludes as Archbishop Decries Poverty and Narcotrafficking

A 60‑kilometer march to the basilica proceeded under a large aid operation tested by a predawn storm.

Overview

  • Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva led the closing Mass, urging hope and solidarity for those worn down by poverty, narcotrafficking, illness and loneliness.
  • He warned against taking "tricky shortcuts" or embracing "facile" proposals that promise "espejitos de colores" ahead of the October 26 legislative elections.
  • García Cuerva cautioned that state withdrawal from neighborhoods enables organized crime to advance, describing the threat as a "narcoestado."
  • Hundreds of thousands trekked from the Santuario de San Cayetano in Liniers to the Basílica de Luján, with heavy rain and strong winds complicating the final stretches.
  • Authorities and volunteers backed the procession with 63 aid posts, potable water, mobile hospitals, ambulances and emergency services.