Argentine President Javier Milei has sent a letter to the Vatican officially inviting Pope Francis to visit Argentina. The right-wing extremist, who eventually called the Pope an “idiot” and a “disgusting left-hander,” has put the attacks behind him since his arrival at the Casa Rosada and now expressed his “highest appreciation and respect” for the head of the Catholic Church. “You know full well that you do not need an invitation to come to Argentina,” says the letter dated January 8, published this Thursday. The pope has not visited his homeland in more than a decade of his pontificate, but Argentines are paying close attention to his words and actions as they impact the country's politics.
“At the risk of saying something unnecessary, I invite you to visit our beloved homeland,” says the letter signed by Milei. In the letter, the president thanks the Pope for the call the pontiff made to him in November after the far-right victory in the presidential election: “I appreciate his wise advice and his wishes for courage and wisdom for me, which are so necessary.” to face the challenge of directing the destinies of our country.” On this occasion, the leader of La Libertad Avanza invited Francisco to visit the country for the first time. However, he had previously accused him of being the “representative of evil on earth” because he propagated “communism”. Milei's ideological leaders had even suggested cutting ties with the Vatican in their campaign rallies.
“You know full well that you don’t need an invitation to come to Argentina. Even at the risk of saying unnecessary, I invite you to visit our beloved homeland on the dates and places indicated to us, taking into account the general desire of our cities, provinces… pic.twitter.com/MPjjpIZ3eL
– Office of President Javier Milei (@OPRArgentina) January 11, 2024
Francisco assured in mid-2023, before Milei came to power, that he had planned his first visit to the country for this year. “I can confirm that it is on the agenda. We will see if it is possible when the election year is over,” he told a Catholic magazine that asked him about the issue. In another interview with the Infobae portal, he explained: “During the elections there will be no travel to the countries to prevent the ruling party from using their presence for re-election or something similar.” “I want to go to Argentina. “
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 86, was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and was cardinal of the Argentine capital from 2001 to 2013. He has not set foot in the country since he was anointed pope more than a decade ago. Neither during the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007-2015), nor during that of Mauricio Macri (2015-2019), nor during the government of Alberto Fernández (2019-2023). Invitations for Francis to travel to Argentina have also been promoted for some time by the Argentine Bishops' Conference and the priests of popular neighborhoods who have a long-standing relationship with Bergoglio.
It was the priests from popular neighborhoods who expressed their “vigorous rejection” of the “vulgar attacks” and “mendacious concepts” that Milei advanced against the Pope before his election as president. “My statements were made in a context when I was not yet active in politics. I have no problem repeating that I regret it,” the then-candidate defended himself during one of the presidential debates. However, just a few weeks earlier, in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, he had accused the head of the Catholic Church of having “an affinity for the murderous communists” of Cuba and Venezuela and of being “on the side of bloody dictatorships.” ”
Milei, an ultra-liberal economist who jumped from television to politics, had found a figure to contend with in a Jesuit pope who represents one of the church's least conservative sectors and has attacked neoliberalism and populism. On several occasions he criticized Francisco for “defending social justice”, a concept that contradicts the ideas of the far right, which promised during the election campaign to reduce the state to a minimum. In his first month in government, Argentina's president has made a major adjustment, imposing by decree more than 300 reforms and repeals of regulations that are dismantling the state and submitting a bill to Congress that fundamentally changes much of the structure. Social and economic Argentina.
“We recognize that these decisions can exacerbate inequalities. Therefore, our top priority is to protect our most vulnerable compatriots. We thank the Catholic Church, whose commitment in the social field is invaluable,” says the letter announced this Thursday by the government. Milei has not yet met with the authorities of the Catholic Church in Argentina. But Karina Milei, sister of the president and secretary of the presidential office, met this Monday with the president of the Argentine Bishops' Conference, Oscar Ojea. The head of the Secretariat for Worship, which acts as an institutional communication channel between religious authorities and governments, is still vacant.