Pope expresses closeness to the citizens of crime-plagued Rosario

By Lisa Zengarini

Pope Francis sent a video message on Tuesday to express his closeness to the people of Rosario, Argentina’s third-largest city, which is facing an unprecedented increase in drug-related criminal violence.

Violence in Rosario

The wave of violence began in 2013, but the city, which is located some 300 kilometres north of Buenos Aires, has long been a centre for criminal activity. 

For decades, cocaine and other drugs have arrived in Rosario from the north of the country, or been shipped along the Paraná River to its port, before being sent to Europe or Africa.  Illicit drugs also stay in the city, flooding the local market and helping drug cartels consolidate their control.  Coupled with endemic corruption, the drug trade has turned Rosario into a warzone. In 2023 the city recorded 259 homicides,  or 22 per 100,000 inhabitants, that is five times the national average.

Pope Francis reading his message to the people of Rosario

Strengthening community networks

Expressing his concern for the situation, Pope Francis called for a community effort to combat the scourge, noting that repressive measures by law enforcement agencies, though urgently needed to restore law and order, are not sufficient.

“We need to strengthen the community”, he said, “and no person of good will should feel or be exonerated from the great responsibility of ensuring that Rosario is a place where everyone can feel like a brother.”

Widespread corruption 

The Pope pointed the finger at the widespread corruption of local political and law enforcement authorities and at the collusion of some sectors of the economic and financial establishment with the drug cartels.

He therefore urged for a better kind of politics, one that is truly at the service of the common good, and for consensus-building and dialogue among political factions to enact effective policies addressing not only the supply of, but also the demand for, drugs.

The Pope further stressed the importance of an independent judiciary in combating corruption and money laundering networks associated with drug trafficking, along with recognition for those within the justice system who put their lives at risk by working for the common good.

He also highlighted the role of the private sector, particularly entrepreneurs, and stressed the need for social engagement and ethical business practices to prevent complicity with organized crime.

Offering a better future to vulnerable youth

Concluding, Pope Francis insisted on the need for a joint effort of all sectors, stakeholders and citizens to make Rosario a better place to live, especially for the new generations, and advocated for the creation of community spaces and opportunities for integral human development, particularly for vulnerable youth. “All of us - social, civil and religious institutions - must be united to do what we do best: create community.”, the Pope  said.

Church's contribution

He then assured that the Church, “as a Mother and a Samaritan” will continue to accompany the families of the victims of the violence, and to support those experiencing drug addiction and all the people living in extreme vulnerability.

“In this time, love and charity will be the most explicit announcement of the Gospel for a society that feels threatened,” he concluded, invoking the intercession of the Virgin of the Rosary for the city's well-being.