When Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis, much of his home country celebrated as if it had won a soccer World Cup title. A decade later, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church generates divided opinions and much less fervor.
Francis, who still likes to listen to tango, left Argentina in February 2013 to attend the conclave that elected him as the successor to Benedict XVI on March 13. He never returned.
“It’s clear, there are people who are angry at him,” said Argentine journalist Sergio Rubin, who recently co-wrote a book about Francis, “El Pastor,” with Francesca Ambrogetti. It includes interviews with the pope. Rubin and some other analysts agree that the pope is keeping his home country at arm’s length to avoid being drawn into the political polarization that has divided Argentines over the past two decades.“Ninety percent of the reason he doesn’t come is because of the divide,” said Rubin, who writes for Argentina’s Clarín newspaper.
Rubin says there are reports from the Holy See’s Secretariat of State that advise Francis not to step foot in his home country because anything he does could “be a reason for conflict.”
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
German Catholic Bishops Back Blessing of Gay Relationships, Defying Pope FrancisGermany’s Catholic bishops voted to adopt formal ceremonies for the blessing of same-sex relationships, defying the Vatican
Read more »
Pope Francis at 10 years: A reformer's learning curve, plansVATICAN CITY (AP) — So much for a short pontificate. Pope Francis celebrates the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy and showing no signs of slowing down.
Read more »
Pope Francis: 'Gender ideology' is one of 'most dangerous ideological colonizations'Pope Francis spoke out against modern gender ideologies in an interview with Argentinian newspaper La Nación, calling it a 'dangerous' form of 'ideological colonization.'
Read more »
Pope Francis at 10 years: A reformer's learning curve, plansPope Francis is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy.
Read more »
Pope Francis at 10 years: A reformer's learning curve, plansPope Francis celebrates the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy and showing no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, with an agenda full of problems and plans and no longer encumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis, 86, has backed off from talking about retiring and recently described the papacy as a job for life. “The master of ceremonies came out and said ‘Are you going in or not?’” Francis recalled in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
Read more »
Stagecoach 2023: Girl Talk, Dillon Francis, Lost Frequencies hit the Honky TonkThe three-day country music festival takes over the Empire Polo Club in Indio April 28-30.
Read more »