Pope Francis expects to die in Rome, still the Catholic pontiff, without returning to spend his final days in his native Argentina, according to a new book titled The Health Of Popes.
Pope Francis will be visiting the United States next September, where he will address the United States congress, the United Nations General Assembly and attend the Family Congress to be held in Philadelphia.
Under the heading of The Peronist pope, The Economist has a piece on Francis's balancing act in Latin America dedicated to the eight day tour of three of the continent's poorest countries, but with the largest percentages of Catholics. But for Francis it is also a delicate balancing act since several current leaders in the region tend to blend the Church's 'option for the poor' with Marxist ideology.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was received on Sunday in the Vatican by Pope Francis for an encounter that lasted almost two hours, in the fifth meeting between the pontiff and head of state since the ex-Buenos Aires archbishop was elected to the Holy See. The meeting however was not without criticism from Buenos Aires.
Three relatives of Pope Francis, including two young children, died on Tuesday when their car slammed into the back of a truck in Argentina. The Pope's nephew, Emanuel Horacio Bergoglio, who was driving the car, was in a serious condition after the accident, officials said.
President Cristina Fernández, CFK, addressed on Sunday the crowd which had gathered in the historic Buenos Aires Plaza de Mayo to mark the anniversary of Argentina's May Revolution, calling on those present to remember all the people who helped create an independent nation.
The Argentine Catholic Church supports the country’s claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands but also called on the Executive and the rest of the Argentine leadership not to use the Malvinas issue with a political purpose.
Amnesty International welcomed Argentina's landmark decision on Thursday to become the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage.
The Argentine Catholic Church said that the Lower House ruling that approved the bill to legalize same-sex marriage is “very serious”. The Church, through its spokespersons, said that the bill “does not constitute any kind of progress” and that “it could revolutionize the concept of society and of family.”