Leda Bergonzi

Leda Bergonzi (born 1979 However, in September 2024, the Archbishop of Rosario prohibited her religious practices, including the laying on of hands, and expelled her from the Church. Bergonzi's style is unconventional; she has been called "modern and sexy." She dresses fashionably and wears heavy makeup.

Career In the mid 2010s, Bergonzi led a small but steadily growing Tuesday prayer group in Rosario. She said it was at this time that she first realized she had a divine healing ability. Her popularity skyrocketed after a local news article about her was published and people learned that two family members of the soccer luminary Lionel Messi had attended her prayer sessions. After that, social media helped propel her to fame quickly: as of early 2024, upwards of 20,000 pilgrims had attended her weekly gatherings, many hoping to be healed of illnesses such as dysautonomia, paralysis, or even terminal cancer.

There are presently over a dozen faith healers in Argentina;

During a visit to the Votive Temple of Maipú, Leda Bergonzi made controversial statements about cancer, claiming that it is an "emotional disease" and its origin is "the lack of forgiveness." This led the archbishop of Santiago, Fernando Chomalí, who has a master's degree in bioethics, to rebuke her statements. The Archdiocese of Rosario and the Rosario Oncology Association also disagreed with her claim.

In 2026, Bergonzi filed a criminal complaint alleging an identity theft scheme in which fake social media profiles were being used to scam her followers. There were also audio and video messages in which impersonators, possibly with the help of artificial intelligence, asked for money in exchange for healing. According to her complaint, hundreds of her followers may have been affected.

Bergonzi also made controversial statements about trans people, saying, "Look, we evangelize. One of our missions is to evangelize street girls, transgender people, night workers. You talk to them and they tell you how they started to change their sex. Why? Many of them say it is because of anger and unforgiveness." Argentine national deputy Esteban Paulón replied that "it is unfortunate that a message of faith is transformed into a message of hate."

Personal life Bergonzi grew up in a religious middle class family with five siblings, including a twin sister. Her grandmother was especially religious and devoted to the Virgin Mary. She is a former seamstress who produced work uniforms before becoming a faith healer. She has five children and a granddaughter.