The was a full piece in the Washington Post yesterday titled, “You can’t understand Pope Francis without Juan Perón — and Evita”.

Um.  Yeah.  Been SCREECHING the fact that he is a dirty, dirty thug Peronist-Fascist since, um, oh, A FEW HOURS AFTER HE WAS ELECTED.  But I’m not bitter or frustrated or anything.  Nope.  Not me.

… but what does “Peronist” mean?

Well, I can’t take credit for this explanation.  This was a comment on a Fr. Z thread by an Argentinian in September of ARSH 2014, it is was so informative that I saved it for future reference.  Now is the time, because none outside of Argentina really knows what “Peronist” means, other than having to do with Juan and Eva Peron.  Well, wonder no more.  Here it is.  If I may be permitted to put it is a nutshell, Peronism is INSTITUTIONAL NARCISSISTIC PSYCHOPATHY.

martin.c says:
28 September 2014 at 11:19 AM
Argentinian here. Peronismo and Justicialismo are two different names for the same thing: the “Peronista” party had to change its name due to a new law which forbade political parties to include personal references in their names, so they re-branded it “Justicialista” party.

The main idea behind justicialismo/peronismo is not about economy or politics, it is about power. The peronist leader thinks: “The best thing that can happen to the country is not freedom or development or peace or education or whatever… the best thing that can happen to the country is ME. Therefore I have to amass as much power as I can, and for that I have to amass as much wealth as I can. Once I have the power, I will bring peace and prosperity. Somehow.”

That’s why you have liberal peronists, conservative peronists, marxist peronists, keynessian peronists, libertarian peronists, and so ad nausseam, because actual ideas about how to actually govern are secondary, the primary thing for the peronist is for he/she to be the one ruling.

Of course, they say that peronismo is about bringing social development to the poor. That may be true, but they don’t have any clear idea of how to actually achieve that. Some of them think that it is all about giving money and stuff to the people for free, others have some degree of formal socioeconomic thought. But power always comes first. If a peronist government has to choose between the welfare of the nation and power, the answer is always power. And if a peronist leader have to choose between his/her beliefs and power, the answer is, again, power.

So, if you have a vague desire for “social justice” and are willing to support whatever peronist is above you in the ladder in order to eventually take your turn there, that’s enough to be a peronist. Sociopolitical discussions are not to be had within the party. The most famous peronist adaggio is “Que se doble pero que no se rompa”, which roughly means, “let it bend but never break”. A marxist peronist and a capitalist peronist will sing the peronist march together and affirm that “the best thing which can happen to a peronist is another peronist”. Because they will support each other when the time comes. Schisms within the peronist party are always about power, never about doctrines or beliefs.

So, if you think that Pope Francis will bring collegiality to the Church you are dead wrong: it is his time to hold the power and he will use it. He will allow some form of collegiality but only for those thing which he does not care about, and only if he has no choice.

And, btw, doctrine is one of those things.