In a radical change of rhetoric that went from hostility to reverence, Argentine president, Javier Milei, met for the first time with Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican this Monday (12/02).
With an eye on the Catholic electorate, Milei attended the meeting armed with cookies and gifts to woo his compatriot and leader of the Catholic Church, whom he, during the electoral campaign, even referred to as a “communist” and “imbecile who defends social justice”. .
The two spoke for 70 minutes. Before that, Milei was also with the pontiff’s assistants. The economic crisis in Argentina, the worst in decades in the country’s history, was cited by the Holy See as one of the topics of the conversations.
A right-wing populist who took office in December last year, Milei faces inflation of more than 200% and has been blocked in his aspirations by Parliament, which vetoed parts of a controversial bill that would have given him superpowers.
Hugs and kisses
On Sunday, during the canonization mass of Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, the first Argentine saint, the two met briefly in St. Peter’s Basilica, and Milei approached the pope asking if she could hug and kiss him. . “Yes, my son, yes”, replied a smiling Francisco.
Asked about the change in rhetoric regarding the pope, Milei stated in an interview with the Italian TV channel Rete 4 that he began “building a positive relationship” with the pontiff after realizing that he was “the most important Argentine in all of Argentina”. “I had to reconsider some positions,” he explained.
In the same interview, Milei said he is a Catholic who practices “a little” of Judaism – he visited Israel last week, and his agenda included a meeting with a rabbi who advises him spiritually and who was appointed to take over the Argentine embassy.
A Vatican spokesperson, when asked about Milei’s insults, stated that the pontiff “is a person who has great affection for everyone”, and that there is no “animosity” between the two.
For Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the pope sees the comments that Milei made in the past as a “campaign strategy”. Even though he has no appreciation for “some political and ideological trends” in Argentina, “he will always be concerned about those who suffer.”
Francisco’s visit to Argentina is still uncertain
In November, the pope called Milei to congratulate him on winning the election. From him, he heard a request to visit Argentina, a country the pontiff has not been to since taking office in 2013.
Francis has already announced that he may travel to his homeland in the second semester, but Cardinal Fernandez stated this Monday that the visit is uncertain “because it depends on several things”.
In the past, the pope has said that he did not want to be politically exploited by Argentines.
ra/le (AFP, Reuters)
2024-02-13 00:07:29