Pope Francis Never Went Home to Argentina

Pope Francis became a global leader and symbol of change, but he never returned home to Argentina after leaving Buenos Aires for the Vatican in 2013—a decision that sparked questions and debate across his homeland, per the AP. Many Argentinians felt confused and snubbed as he visited four of five countries bordering Argentina, per the BBC. Others attributed his avoidance to the country's polarizing politics. Current President Javier Milei, who took office in 2023, had a strained relationship with Francis, whom he called an "imbecile" and "the representative of the Evil One on Earth" before coming to power, per the AP.

Francis expressed concern for Argentines suffering under Milei's fiscal shock therapy and criticized Argentine security forces for using pepper spray and tear gas against retirees protesting for better pensions. The Vatican described a 2024 meeting between Francis and Milei as "cordial," but ideological differences remained, especially after US President Trump, Milei's political ally, was reelected. A Pew Research Center report showed Francis' popularity in Argentina declined more than anywhere else in the region over the last decade. About 64% held a positive view of him in September 2024, compared with 91% in 2014, per the AP. Traditionalist Catholics and right-wing critics accused Francis of leading the church astray and branded him the "Peronist pope."

As archbishop of Buenos Aires during the leftist tenures of former presidents Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernendez de Kirchner, Francis criticized "exhibitionism" and autocratic tendencies from the pulpit. His support for the Vatican's conservative positions clashed with de Kirchner's progressive government, which expanded sex education and legalized same-sex marriage in 2010. Kirchner supporters accused Francis of complicity in Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship, when as many as 30,000 people disappeared. Francis, who was then head of Argentina's Jesuit order, denied these claims. In his 2024 memoir, he recalled hiding activists and pressing officials to free abducted priests. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)