Argentina's outlaw saints

During dire economic times, the country's Catholics are turning to flawed "saints of the poor"

Saints
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko))

In a country both incredibly religious and overwhelmingly poverty-stricken, it makes sense that Argentina's Catholics would turn to relatable symbols of hope.

"Common people are very expressive and search for the palpable," Rev. Toto De Vedia, a priest who leads a parish in Buenos Aires, told The Associated Press. "This is the case with a saint whose way of living is very close to theirs."

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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.