Pope Francis and Javier Milei met for the first time
Pope Francis and Javier Milei met for the first time, an expected encounter, remembering that the president of Argentina during his campaign was not entirely respectful with the highest authority of the Vatican.
Pope Francis and Javier Milei, president of Argentina, very critical in the past with the pontiff, greeted each other this Sunday with an embrace at the end of the canonization mass of the first Argentinean saint.
The first Argentinean saint is María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, popularly known as “Mama Antula”.
Once the Eucharist was over in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican, Francis was taken in a wheelchair because of his knee problems to the place where the President had followed the Mass.
Milei shook his hand and even gave him a hug; the two talked with laughter for a moment.
The public meeting between Pope Francis and Javier Milei
It should be noted that the meeting between Pope Francis and Javier Milei arose after the initiative of the Vatican leader.
This Mass was the first meeting between the two after Milei, during the electoral campaign, described the Pope as “the representative of the evil one on earth”, among other disqualifications.
However, the Supreme Pontiff downplayed his words and in fact called him to congratulate him on his electoral victory.
The far-right politician has also notably lowered his tone and this Saturday, February 10, in an interview on Radio Mitre he praised him as “the most important Argentine in history”, and said he hoped to have a “very fruitful dialogue” with him.
Pope Francis and Javier Milei will meet at the official audience between them at the Apostolic Palace.
The President of Argentina and Francis clashed during the electoral campaign and these meetings would work as a turning point after the apology of the Head of State and the invitation to the audience made by the Holy Father.
Read more: The first meeting between Alberto Fernández and Javier Milei.
Previous meeting between Milei and Pope Francis
Before the meeting between Pope Francis and Javier Milei, the Argentine President arrived at the Vatican accompanied by the Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, the Minister of Human Capital; Sandra Pettovello, the Minister of the Interior; Guillermo Francos, and the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei.
The official delegation will be joined by a delegation of Argentine businessmen headed by Daniel Funes de Rioja, head of the UIA.
But this public meeting between Pope Francis and Javier Milei was preceded by a private meeting, which took place before 9 am (5 am in Argentina).
Then, the President took advantage of the waiting time to take selfies and talk with the Argentines who were in the front row of the Holy See.
Apparently, the offenses and insults were left aside, because the Head of State and his sister, Secretary General of the Presidency, received Holy Communion.
We recall that earlier, in Israel, Milei and his sister Karina lit candles at the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus Christ is believed to have been resurrected on the third day after his death.
The President had cancelled his visit to the ancient city of Jerusalem, but asked to go to the Holy Sepulcher before leaving Israel for the Vatican.
