Catholic Church urges Congress to reject Milei's property bill

The Argentine branch of the Catholic Church has entered the debate over one of President Javier Milei's more contentious legislative pushes, with three domestic Church bodies writing an open letter to national lawmakers urging Congress to reject a bill that would loosen long-standing restrictions on private property ownership.

In a statement, Caritas, the Comisión Episcopal de Pastoral Social ("Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral Care") and the Equipo Nacional de Pastoral Aborigen ("National Team for Indigenous Pastoral Care," ENDEPA) deep concern over the 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill being pushed by the national Executive, urging Congress to reject the initiative.

The letter argues the bill "undermines the sovereignty of our land, our food, our common goods and the right of peoples to self-determination." Citing Pope Leo XIV, the three organisations stressed that the earth's resources must serve all of humanity, not just a fortunate few.

The bill would ease a series of existing restrictions on land ownership and use, including limits on foreign purchases and environmental protections introduced after wildfires.

Chief among the Church bodies' concerns is the removal of restrictions on land purchases by foreigners, which they warn would grant access to territories holding major reserves of water and other essential natural resources.

The bodies also flagged the repeal of environmental restrictions that had blocked the immediate use of land destroyed by wildfires, calling the change an incentive for property speculators.

The letter further alleges that the bill "weakens the State's authority, at all levels, to manage land use, plan public works and protect community interests, particularly those of the most vulnerable, against private interests, both local and foreign."

"Caring for the land is caring for life," the letter states, noting that for rural, peasant and Indigenous communities, land represents identity, culture, memory and the future, and so cannot be reduced to "mere merchandise" or a "financial asset."

The letter also highlights Argentina's housing crisis, calling for legislation that simplifies access to decent housing for all families while establishing a fair legal framework for both landlords and tenants. The three bodies asked that any new policy strike a balance between the needs of renters and property owners.

The letter closes: "We ask those taking part in the debate over this bill to be guided by the common good and the future of generations to come, rather than by particular interests, putting into practice the nobility of politics as the highest expression of charity."

– TIMES/PERFIL