Vatican delegation to join popular movements meeting in Argentina

A delegation from the Holy See, led by Sister Alessandra Smerilli, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will travel to La Matanza, Argentina, for a regional meeting of popular movements on October 27 and 28. The event, themed ‘For a Magnificent Humanity’, is organized by the Union of Workers of the Popular Economy (UTEP) in coordination with the Vatican.

The meeting serves as a precursor to the planned visit of Pope Leo XIV to Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru in November. Participants will discuss the Pontiff’s first encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas’, alongside critical issues including the impact of artificial intelligence, precarious labor, socioeconomic crises, and the expansion of drug trafficking in local territories.

The delegation includes Father Flavio Lauría, Emilce Cuda of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and Father Mattia Ferrari. The discussions will address a 72-page report documenting declining purchasing power, family debt, and mental health challenges in vulnerable communities.