VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) — In a ceremony held Sunday in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis canonized María Antonia of St. Joseph, affectionately known in Argentina as “Mama Antula,” marking her as Argentina’s first female saint.
Pope Francis holds a painting of the saint
(Photo: Vatican News Service)
Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, was seated to the right of the pontiff and shared a moment of embrace with Francis at the Mass’ conclusion.
Saint María Antonia of St. Joseph
Born in 1730 and passing in 1799, Mama Antula was a consecrated laywoman renowned for her dedication to promoting Ignatian spirituality amid widespread opposition to the Jesuit order.
Her efforts were particularly focused on founding the House for Spiritual Exercises in Buenos Aires — an Ignatian retreat center that later added a rehabilitation house for women and girls, a school and house for inmates. The Spiritual Excercises is a compilation of meditations, prayers and other contemplative practices whose object is to develop an attentiveness and responsivensss to God.
Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit hailing from Argentina, lauded Mama Antula as “a model of apostolic fervor and boldness.” He recognized her extensive travels by foot across perilous terrains to draw people closer to God.
He also emphasized her resilience in upholding Ignatian spirituality after the expulsion of the Jesuits from South America. The pontiff highlighted her trust in providence and unyielding spirit.
Pope’s Praise for Mama Antula
In his homily, Pope Francis underscored embracing the marginalized and poor as integral members of society.
He praised Mama Antula’s embodiment of these values through her compassionate service to those overlooked by society. Her legacy, Francis noted, includes the promotion of devotion to St. Cajetan, which enhances the spiritual life of many Argentinians. St. Cajetan is the country’s patron saint, as well as the patron of job-seekers and the unemployed. It is estimated that as much as 40% of Argenina’s population lives in poverty, with runaway inflation limiting the country’s recovery.
Javier Milei meets Pope Francis for first time since insulting pontiff
Mama Antula, born into wealth but dedicating her life to service, navigated considerable obstacles to preserve and spread Ignatian spirituality across Argentina.
Her burial site in Buenos Aires has become a pilgrimage destination, reflecting her enduring influence on faith and society in Argentina.
Mama Antula’s feast day is March 7.
Argentine President Meets With Francis
Following Sunday’s canonization, Pope Francis hosted Argentine President Javier Milei for a private audience Monday morning.
This meeting comes after Milei, a self-proclaimed libertarian, was elected in November after trash-talking the pope on the campaign trail. Milei — who at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, derided the plans of globalists aligned with Francis — described Francis as an “imbecile,” a “filty leftist” and an “embarrasing communist.”
The two leaders met privately on Monday
During their encounter, Francisco Sánchez, Argentina’s undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship, and a member of the official delegation, described to ANSA, an Italian news outlet, the unexpectedly warm nature of the meeting.
According to Sánchez, the interaction was full of “surprising aspects” and unfolded in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect, lasting over an hour — a duration not typically extended to international delegations by the pontiff.
The two upheld the traditional gift exchange, with Pope Francis presenting Milei with a bronze medallion and signed papal documents. Milei reciprocated with a document accrediting Argentina’s diplomat to the pope in 1854, a 2016 commemoration by the country’s postal service of the saint’s beatification in 2016, and personal items like dulce de leche (a toffee cookie) and lemon biscuits.
Milei has been criticized for advancing “cartelism” — massive deregulation of private business that some believe ony further enables the globalists who run them.
