BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) 鈥� Pope Francis reappeared in Argentina’s capital a year after his death, but it wasn鈥檛 a miracle: It was through the hands of a DJ-priest.
Guilherme Peixoto is a Portuguese Catholic priest who, in his 50s, has become a celebrity in the world of electronic music. He hosted a rave Saturday in Buenos Aires in homage to the Argentine-born who died in April 2025.
As young and old, Catholics and agnostics alike, danced to the music Peixoto controlled from his DJ booth, three enormous screens projected images of the late Popes Francis and John Paul II as well as white doves.
鈥淕od bless you, and let鈥檚 dance,鈥� a voice-over said before Peixoto appeared in priestly attire and headphones at the historic Plaza de Mayo. He then placed his hands on the console and for the next two hours mixed techno and religious melodies.
鈥淭his is a unique opportunity to see him, and it鈥檚 free,鈥� said Jes煤s Mart铆n, a 54-year-old Spaniard and . 鈥淚n Ibiza, you have to pay 150 euros, and up to 2,000 euros for VIP.鈥�
Inspiration leads to global sensation
鈥� better known as Padre Guilherme 鈥� has become a global sensation, performing around the world to large audiences and amassing a following of 2.8 million people on Instagram and over 220,000 monthly streams on Spotify. He was ordained a priest in 1999, partly out of religious vocation and partly to fulfill a promise his mother made to God when he suffered a life-threatening illness as a child.
Electronic music became a hobby alongside his priestly career. In the 2000s, he began playing at universities and organizing parties to raise funds for his parish, but he asked that no one take his picture for fear of reprisals from his superiors.
Those fears dissipated when assumed leadership of the Catholic Church as Pope Francis in 2013.
鈥淗e often said, 鈥楧on鈥檛 be afraid,鈥� that we had to go out to the peripheries and that 鈥榃e shouldn鈥檛 be afraid to use our hands.鈥� These messages were an inspiration,鈥� Peixoto recalled in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his performance in Buenos Aires.
So, he enrolled in a DJ school, contacted electronic music producers and began composing his own tracks. Eventually, invitations to participate in festivals and play in clubs across Portugal began to arrive.
The priest burst onto the world stage after his performances at World Youth Day in 2023, before the open-air Mass celebrated by Pope Francis.
鈥淚 will never lose this connection with Pope Francis,” Peixoto said. “He was the one who touched my heart with this facet of music.”
Many attending his Saturday rave knew little about the priest-DJ.
鈥淚 learned about him when the tribute to Francis was first announced. I came to remember the Pope, but I think what he does is very original, as long as it鈥檚 done respectfully,鈥� Silvia Garaggiola, 60, said.
Saturday鈥檚 set list included Peixoto鈥檚 hit 鈥淓l Grano de Mostaza鈥� and remixes of and Queen.
Evangelizing youth from the DJ booth
From the Medusa Festival in Cullera, Spain, to Dreamfields in Mexico, or the H茂 Ibiza club 鈥� in that Spanish resort town often dubbed the 鈥淰atican鈥� of electronic music 鈥� Peixoto broadcasts a message of peace and coexistence to thousands of young people, the vast majority of whom are not practicing Catholics.
Amid the smoke of tobacco and marijuana cigarettes, several groups of teenagers danced and imitated the DJ priest鈥檚 hand movements, while laser lights gave Plaza de Mayo the appearance of a nightclub.
鈥淚t sounds really good,鈥� commented 17-year-old Ileana Gonz谩lez. 鈥淚 have zero religion, but I鈥檓 having fun.鈥�
The Curia鈥檚 resistance to modernization, its rejection of sexual diversity and the scandals involving the abuse of minors have erected a wall between the Catholic Church and younger generations 鈥攁 barrier that Pope Francis sought to dismantle through his revolutionary papacy.
An admirer of English musician Carl Cox and the Italian American artist Anyma, Peixoto seeks to carry forward that mission from behind his DJ decks.
鈥淚 believe it is incredibly important to make young people smile, to help them feel happy with themselves, rather than associating happiness with merely possessing this or that material thing,鈥� he said.
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