When Nunzia Locatelli was working on making a documentary about Jorge Bergoglio, one of her interviewees recommended that she research Mama Antula and tell her story. Thus, four books about her began to take shape, which she wrote together with Cintia Suárez, the last of them “Mama Antula, The First Saint of Argentina” which plays a key role in the future canonization of Antula.
The 13 years of research by Locatelli and Suárez included, in 2022, access to the State Archives of Rome in which the authors not only verified the links between Mama Antula and the heroes who would ultimately star in the May Revolution, but also They also accessed the testimonies of the miracles which allowed María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, such as Mama Antula’s real name, to be canonized and recognized as the First Argentine Saint.
The canonization will take place in the Vatican on Sunday, February 11 and will be the first meeting between Javier Milei and Pope Francis, who will hold an official meeting the following day. But, in addition, the delegation that will travel to Italy will have the presence of around thirty businessmen from the local area. The invitation, without expenses included, is borne by Chancellor Diana Mondino, through her Secretary of International Economic Relations, Héctor Marcelo Cima, and although there is an agenda of official activities for them, the trip will also serve to close business.
Although Locatelli maintains that she does not use her married name because she claims “it is not anyone’s property,” her husband is one of the most important businessmen in the country and will be part of the delegation: Marcos Bulgheroni, CEO of Pan American Energy Group. Thus, the visit to Pope Francis and its implications and the potential for new business between business meetings, the canonization of the first Argentine saint becomes much more than a protocol act. And the government speculates on using the presence of the businessmen as an exhibition of endorsement of their management.
Miracles. Last October 24, Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree on a miracle attributed to the intercession Mama Antula. She had been beatified in 2016 in Santiago del Estero, after the Pope authorized the publication of a miracle for the healing of the nun María Rosa Vanina, of the Daughters of the Divine Savior, who would have recovered her health in 1904 through intercession. of the founder and spiritual mother of that congregation, which was verified thanks to the research of Locatelli and Suárez.
The other miracle attributed to Mama Antula is due to the miraculous survival of Claudio Perusini (born in Santa Fe in 1959), who in 2017 suffered an “ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic infarction in several areas, deep coma, sepsis, resistant septic shock , with multiple organ failure”, with very little chance of returning to normal life due to irreparable brain injuries. He remained in a vegetative state for 28 days.
After a few days, Perusini showed notable improvement and, after a few months of physiotherapy, he was independent, autonomous in his daily life, performing normal manual tasks. All family and friends had prayed for Mama Antula’s intercession. Seven people who were not friends or family also prayed for the sick man’s health. Perusini’s healing has no medical explanation. It was considered a miracle. Perusini himself will be present at the canonization on Sunday, February 11 as living proof of Mama Antula’s miraculous action.
Thread. But in addition to the faithful and pilgrims and the national and ecclesiastical officials who will be part of the canonization act, it will be the Argentine businessmen who will come in large numbers to the Vatican. The head of the list of those summoned is Marcos Bulgheroni, Locatelli’s husband and chosen last year as the best CEO in the country for his work at the head of Pan American Energy. Other notable guests are Alejandro Bulgheroni, Chairman of Pan American Energy, Jaime Campos, president of the Argentine Business Association; José Luis Acevedo, president of the Association of Young Entrepreneurs; Hugo Sigman, from the INSUD Group; Luis Ureta, Executive Vice President of Globant in Europe, Cristiano Rattazzi, of the Modena company and Adelmo Gabbi, President of the Stock Exchange. Alejandro Elsztain, from IRSA and brother of Eduardo Elsztain, who was part of Javier Milei’s trip to the United States, is also part of the delegation.
The presence of entrepreneurs on the trip can give birth to the emergence of new businesses and no one wants to be left out of it. But in addition, the national government seeks, with their presence within the delegation, to leave a sign that the establishment supports its brand new government. However, in the Holy See they are not so happy with the composition of the guest list and, as it turned out, they are surprised by the preparation of the list of those who will attend the diplomatic trip (See box).
Thus, the beatification of Mama Antula will not only make Argentina have its first saint. But it will also help Javier Milei try to rebuild his relationship with Pope Francis and the government seeks to ensure that the presence of businessmen serves as endorsement for the new management.
