In a passionate speech on Friday, Pope Francis criticized the growing influence of "radical individualism" in society. The pope's comments came as he greeted Argentine pilgrims who had traveled to Rome for the upcoming canonization of Mama Antula, the first female saint from his home country.

María Antonia di San Giuseppe de Paz y Figueroa, better known as Mama Antula, was an 18th-century Argentine laywoman who dedicated her life to serving the poor and keeping Jesuit spirituality alive in Argentina. Even after the suppression of the Jesuit religious order, to which the pope belongs, Mama Antula continued to spread the faith and minister to the neediest.

On Sunday, Pope Francis will officiate the canonization ceremony for Mama Antula. This event will also mark his first meeting with Argentina's new libertarian president, Javier Milei, who has recently made controversial statements advocating for looser labor laws and the sale of vital organs.

Following the canonization Mass, Pope Francis is scheduled to meet formally with President Milei and later with Italy's right-wing leader, Premier Giorgia Meloni.

During his address to the pilgrims gathered in Rome, Pope Francis praised Mama Antula as a shining example of someone who was willing to risk everything in her mission to spread the faith, particularly among the poorest. He warned against the dangers of radical individualism, which he described as a deceptive virus that tricks people into prioritizing their own ambitions over helping others.

Mama Antula, who was born into a wealthy family in Tucuman, Argentina in 1730, made the courageous decision to join a group of Jesuit-inspired women at the age of 15. Even after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain's colonies in 1767, Mama Antula continued to teach and practice the Jesuits' Ignatian spiritual exercises across Argentina, facing the risk of imprisonment.

Pope Francis emphasized the importance of Mama Antula's clandestine efforts and her unwavering determination in the face of adversity. He urged the faithful to follow her example and not give up on their good intentions to spread the Gospel, despite the challenges they may encounter.

This will not be the first time that Pope Francis has canonized a saint close to his heart and his native Argentina. In 2016, he declared José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, a poncho-wearing "gaucho priest" who ministered in the Argentine peripheries, as the country's first saint.

As Pope Francis prepares for the canonization of Mama Antula, he continues to use these moments to highlight the values and virtues that he believes are crucial in building a just and compassionate society. With his strong message against radical individualism, he hopes to inspire people to prioritize the needs of others and work towards a more inclusive world.