▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁Argentina ' s ▁Minister ▁of ▁Health ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁con gression al ▁appointment ▁of ▁inter im ▁President ▁Edu ardo ▁Du hal de , ▁and ▁rat ified ▁in ▁his ▁post ▁by ▁President ▁N ést or ▁Kirch ner ▁upon ▁taking ▁office ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Minister ▁of ▁Health ▁González ▁García ▁became ▁the ▁focus ▁of ▁a ▁controvers y ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁verb ally ▁attacked ▁by ▁the ▁head ▁military ▁chap lain , ▁Bishop ▁Antonio ▁Base otto , ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁minister ' s ▁public ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁legal ization ▁of ▁abort ion ▁in ▁Argentina ▁( where ▁interrupt ing ▁a ▁pre gn ancy ▁is ▁a ▁serious ▁crime ▁except ▁when ▁the ▁mother ' s ▁life ▁is ▁in ▁grave ▁danger , ▁or ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁ra pe ▁of ▁a ▁ment ally ▁imp a ired ▁woman ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁his ▁end ors ement ▁of ▁sex ▁education ▁and ▁his ▁implementation ▁of ▁a ▁program ▁of ▁free ▁contra ception ▁and ▁cond om ▁distribution ▁programs . ▁The ▁dispute ▁unders cor ed ▁both ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁Argentina , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁fact ious ▁nature ▁of ▁local ▁church - state ▁relations ▁themselves . ▁ ▁Though ▁González ▁García ▁was ▁not ▁retained ▁in ▁his ▁post ▁by ▁Kirch ner ' s ▁wife ▁and ▁successor , ▁Crist ina ▁Kirch ner , ▁when ▁she ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁was ▁instead ▁appointed ▁Amb assador ▁to