Dubbed "the woman who knows how to read Pope Francis",[1] she became known for interpreting the teachings of Pope Francis through the Argentine Theology of the People,[2] political philosophers, and her own native exposure to Pope Francis’ cultural milieu. Under Pope Leo XIV she has continued to play a role in articulating the theological and social themes of the Latin American Church within the Holy See.
She is the first Argentine laywoman to receive a pontifical Doctor of Sacred Theology degree in moral theology [3] and the first woman to hold an executive position in the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, [4] a position she continues to occupy under Leo XIV.
She received an MBA (2001) from the Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales.[5]
On December 14, 2022, the National University of Rosario conferred on her the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, in honoris causa.[7] Pope Francis sent a hand-written letter of thanks to the university for the recognition as "a deserved distinction for the academic, intellectual and personal merits of Emilce (Cuda), a tireless fighter for social justice, peace, decent work and the beauty of creation, especially in Latin America".[8]
On May 9, 2023, Loyola University Chicago conferred on her the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa "in recognition of her distinguished career and scholarship, commitment to social justice, and service on behalf of the poor and marginalized."[9]
She appears frequently at conferences and on-line panel discussions, speaking chiefly on labor issues and the Church's social magisterium.[15][16][17] Her approach is based on pontifical social encyclicals, Catholic cultural and intellectual history, Latin American popular culture and politics, and uniquely Argentine elements such as tango lyrics.
Her formulation ‘pueblo-pobre-trabajador’ does not render directly into English, in which people and poor are not the connotative singular nouns that they are in Spanish.[18] Resonating with Pope Francis's phrase "God’s holy faithful people"[19] and the preferential option for the poor of Catholic social teaching, Cuda's phrase suggests that the poor, destitute as they may be, are the workers who make up the people where grace operates.
Curial service
On July 26, 2021, Pope Francis named Cuda to head the office of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (PCAL).[20] She took up her responsibilities at the Vatican on 1 September.[21] On 18 February 2022 Pope Francis promoted her to secretary of the Commission, on an equal footing with its other secretary Rodrigo Guerra López.[22]
National Catholic Reporter wrote in 2022, "Her intense focus on the issues at hand, combined with her indefatigable commitment to the work, has — based on her quick ascendancy in Rome — earned her the strong approval of Francis, who is insisting that what happens at the Vatican and beyond is motivated by Catholic social teaching."[25]
The PCAL is an autonomous body presided over by the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.[26] At the time of Cuda’s appointment, the position was held by Cardinal Marc Ouellet. He was succeeded in January 2023 by Robert Francis Prevost[27], who was elected Pope Leo XIV in May 2025. Because of her association with both Francis and Leo XIV, she has been referred to as “the lady of two popes.”[28]
Personal life
She is married to an American and has two children. She spends part of the year at a family home in Arizona.[21]
Para Leer a Francisco - Reading Francis
Reading Francis – Theology, Ethics and Politics (Spanish: Para Leer a Francisco – Teologia, Etica y Politica) was published in 2014. Prefaced by Scannone, it examines the theological and philosophical underpinnings of Pope Francis’ writings. Spanish newspaper ABC wrote, "It allows us to delve into the main lines of Theology of the People, covering the pastoral and ethical implications of the decisions approved by the Latin American episcopate held in Aparecida."[29]
Selected works
Democracia y Catolicismo en Estados Unidos: 1792–1945. Democracy and Catholicism in the United States. ( ISBN978-9876401173) PhD thesis. 2010. In Spanish.
Democracia en el Magisterio Pontificio. Democracy in the Pontifical Magisterium. ( ISBN978-9876403139) Masters thesis. 2014. In Spanish.
Para leer a Francisco. Teología, ética y política. Reading Francis. ( ISBN978-9875002180) 2016. In Spanish. Translated into Italian in 2018.
Nuevos Estilos Sindicales en América Latina y el Caribe. (Editor). New Styles of Labor Unions in Latin America. ( ISBN978-987-722-227-2). 2016. In Spanish.
Hacia una ética de la participación y la esperanza. (Editor) Toward an Ethic of Participation and Hope. Prologue by James Keenan SJ. ( ISBN978-958-781-056-1). 2017 In Spanish.
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