Francis sent a letter to the President of Argentina one month ago,
but the Government never published it. La Nacion, one of the country’s
main newspapers, has now published it.
Two days after their friendly encounter and lunch
in the Vatican, Pope Francis sent a letter to Argentina’s President
Cristina Kirchner in which, giving expression to the desire of all
Argentineans for “a serene present”, he asked her to work “for the
consolidation of harmony, dialogue and reconciliation” in this country
where today social tensions are running high.
In the letter sent on March 20, whose existence and contents remained unknown until today, Pope Francis asked the President to transmit his greetings to “the most beloved Argentinean people”, whom he entrusted to the care of Our Lady of Lujan.
Her Government never published the letter nor made any reference to its existence. It may have felt that its contents were implicitly criticizing it. Indeed, when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998-2013), Cardinal Bergoglio was considered as an enemy by the Kirchner Government because of his trenchant criticism of its policies that failed to address the widespread poverty and corruption in this country of over 40 million people, which is eight times the size of France.
Today, however, La Nacion, one of the country’s main papers which had the future Pope as a regular reader, published a front page article and the full text of his letter in its April 21 edition.
The Pope, in his letter, thanked the President for her “presence” at his inauguration and for “the good wishes” she extended to him then “so that the new task which Divine Providence has entrusted to me in the Church may be fruitful and a help for the common good of all people and for peaceful understanding between peoples.”
“In the person of your Excellency and in the responsibility that you exercise”, Pope Francis wrote, “ I wish to see the face of all the children of these beloved Argentinean lands, who strive every day to give the best of themselves for the Fatherland in which they were born, and in which they desire to be the protagonists of a serene present and the builders of a bright future, in which reciprocal love is the door that opens to hope and mutual trust, in sincere respect and generous collaboration.”
Reiterating his thanks to her for her kind words during that visit, Pope Francis told her, “I wish to entrust to Our Lady of Lujan, the heavenly Patron of this land, all Argentineans.”
In particular, he entrusted to Our Lady “those who are placed in positions of authority, so that they may seek in service their best ally and work tirelessly to weave the bonds that consolidate harmony, dialogue, reconciliation and understanding between all (Argentineans)”
He entrusted to her too “the children” of Argentina, “who have a right to a world that distinguishes itself for virtue and the values that gives dignity to the person”; and also “marriages, so that they may strengthen the family in understanding and in fidelity for life”; and “the elderly, at whose side one always learns beautiful lessons.”
Last but not least, Pope Francis entrusted “the poor” of Argentina whom he loves so dearly to the Virgin of Lujan, “so that they may always find a friendly hand to help them and sustain them in their just aspirations”
“I take them all (Argentineans) in my heart, without overlooking any of them” to Our Lady of Lujan, the Pope said, “asking her for the entire nation and for its destiny.”
Pope Francis concluded his letter to President Cristina Kirchner by extending to her his “cordial greetings” and, through her, “to all your collaborators, as well as to the beloved Argentinean people, on whom I invoke God’s abundant blessings”.
La Nacion published the Pope’s letter on the day Mario Poli, his successor as archbishop of Buenos Aires, was installed in an open-air ceremony attended by the vice-President and senior Government ministers. They were present at the instruction of President Kirchner who was in Venezuela for the installation of the new, highly contested elected leader of that country. Significantly, Pope Francis today prayed for peace and harmony in that land too.