Surprising appointment that Pope Francis gave to Guzmán / Argentina News

Pope Francis appointed the Minister of Economy, Martín Guzmán, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which is read as an endorsement of the national official both in the internal government of the Frente de Todos and in the face of the renegotiation of the debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The appointment of the economist in the Vatican organ was reported this Saturday through the Press Room of the Holy See.

The Vatican highlighted in Guzmán’s curriculum that he has a degree in Economics from the National University of La Plata, with a Doctorate from Brown University in the United States and a post-doctorate from Columbia University, also in the North American country.

“Academics are appointed by the Holy Father based on their competencies in the social sciences and their moral integrity”, establishes the statute of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

The body’s Chancellor is Argentine Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo and previously, in September 2020, it had added the Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Gustavo Beliz, as another of its members.

Pope Francis and Guzmán had met last April 14 for 45 minutes in the Private Library of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican to analyze the situation of the foreign debt that the Government seeks to renegotiate.

During the meeting, the minister and the pontiff discussed the debt situation that the country must face with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and with the Paris Club, amid strong requests from the Pope for international organizations to advance in a “significant debt reduction” for the poorest countries, as reported at the time.

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was founded by John Paul II in 1994 with the objective of “promoting the study and progress of the social, economic, political and legal sciences in the light of the social doctrine of the Church”: its members are appointed for ten years and can be renamed.

Another Argentine who is part of the organization is the anthropologist Marcelo Suárez-Orozco.

What is the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

According to the statutes, the members are chosen for their high level of competence in some social discipline

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences is autonomous and the number of its members, appointed by the Pope, cannot be less than 20 nor greater than 40.

Academics are appointed for 10 years and can be reappointed.

According to the statutes, members are elected by their high level of competition in any of the various social disciplines.

The Chancellor is the same as that of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Argentine Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo.

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was founded by John Paul II on January 1, 1994 to “promote the study and progress of the social, economic, political and legal sciences in the light of the social doctrine of the Church.”