Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 3, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The Ordinary of the Military in Argentina, Bishop Antonio Juan Baseotto, explained that he is still in the position to which the Holy See had assigned him, despite the fact that President Kirchner and some of his Ministers do not say the same.
"Of course, I am", was the Bishop’s answer to a question from the press at Ezeiza airport before leaving for Europe.
On the other hand, the Minister of Defense, José Pampuro, said that the conflict is in the process of being solved “for good” at the office for Worship. "There is nothing else that I can say” he mentioned.
Bishop Baseotto said that he had not been called to the Vatican and that he wants to have this matter cleared up as soon as possible. He also mentioned he had received a letter from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he was elected Pope, supporting his view.
When asked if he would retract himself from what he said about the Minister of Health, Ginés González García, Bishop Baseotto affirmed “no; firstly, because I never said what has been quoted, it was a wrong interpretation. What I did was to quote a passage from the Gospel that says that it is better for one who scandalize to have that happen to him” (to have a millstone tied around their neck and to be thrown into the sea).
Before saying that he wants to do “whatever God may want for him”, he pointed out that he wants the relation between the Church and the Government to be improved, and added “It is quite a time now that I have no relationship with the government. The Vatican is the only one authorized to change the Ordinary of the Military. That is how it is, I cannot have things changed".