The Church's warning to the government: "Protecting jobs and employment must be a priority."

The feast of Saint Cayetano is celebrated on August 7th, and the Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA) took the opportunity to send a strong message to the national government . It called for "protecting employment and job opportunities" and requested that it be "an unwavering priority" in the economic plan being implemented by Javier Milei.

The statement from the Argentine Church , signed by the Archbishop of Mendoza, Marcelo Colombo , head of the CEA, accompanied by Cardinal Ángel Rossi, first vice-president, and Bishop César Fernández, second vice-president, and the general secretary, Bishop Raúl Pizarro, was released on the eve of the feast of San Cayetano, which is celebrated year after year on August 7 to celebrate the patron saint of bread, peace and work.

"This day invites us to heed the cry of so many brothers and sisters who see in work the opportunity to be useful and contribute to the common good ," the Church leadership emphasized. They added: " Work is a fundamental right that builds one's own life and that of one's family, and sustains the social fabric."

In the face of the decline in formal employment, the Episcopal Conference emphasized that "the lack of work deeply wounds people's dignity." They also warned that "it can lead to discouragement, isolation, and a loss of meaning."

In this context, they emphasized that "any economic plan must be an unwavering priority, protecting employment and job opportunities ." In a direct criticism of the libertarian administration, they added: "No measure can be considered successful if it means workers lose their jobs or live with anxiety and uncertainty about their future."

" In difficult times, we value all forms of work : formal employment, family businesses, the grassroots economy, recycling, odd jobs. Every activity that, with effort, puts a decent lifeline on the table deserves to be recognized, supported, and protected," they detailed in the statement released Tuesday.

And they concluded, in the run-up to the festivities: " We ask for the intercession of Saint Cajetan so that there is no shortage of decent work in our homes and so that those who are currently unemployed or living in precarious working conditions may find new opportunities that will restore hope and improve their quality of life."