Pope Francis congratulates Argentina’s President-elect Milei in a phone call
In a phone call on Tuesday, Pope Francis reached out to congratulate the president-elect of Argentina, Javier Milei, on his victory in the recent presidential election. Milei, an economist from the La Libertad Avanza party, is set to take office on December 10. The conversation was described as pleasant and positive by those close to Milei, and it was facilitated by the pope’s ophthalmologist, Fabio Bartucci.
During the call, Milei extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Argentina next year, both as the head of state and as the leader of the Church. According to reports, the Pope responded positively to the invitation. The two leaders discussed important issues such as health, education, and poverty. The pope urged Milei to have the wisdom and courage to govern, to which Milei responded with confidence in his ability to bring about positive changes for the population.
It is worth noting that this conversation comes after Milei had made some critical remarks about the pope in the past, referring to him as the representative of the evil one on Earth. However, Milei has since apologized for his statements and assured the pope that he would be respected during any potential visit to Argentina.
There have been recent indications that Pope Francis may visit his native country, and the nation’s bishops have extended a formal invitation to him. The possibility of a visit gained momentum in the weeks leading up to the election, and the pope’s decision to travel was said to be independent of the election result.
This news was first reported by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted for this article.
In summary, Pope Francis reached out to congratulate Argentina’s president-elect, Javier Milei, in a phone call. The conversation was described as positive, and Milei extended an invitation to the pope to visit Argentina next year. This conversation comes after Milei’s previous criticism of the pope, but he has since apologized and assured him of respect. There are indications that Pope Francis may visit Argentina in the future, independent of the election result.