Cardinal’s choice Robert Prevost as the new Pope under the name of Leo XIV This Thursday, April 8, it generated all kinds of reactions, but the one that highlighted was that of Donald Trump, who celebrated the arrival of the first American pontiff in history, which creates an unexpected link between him and Cristina Kirchnerwho also saw how, for the first time, a man in his country became in 2013 the maximum reference of the Catholic Church.
The president of the United States wrote in his account of the social network Truth Social: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has just been appointed potato. It is a great honor to know that he is the first American Pope. What emotion and what great honor for our country! I hope to meet Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very significant moment! ”
However, he showed not so much enthusiasm when he assumed the first American Pope, Francisco. In fact, he criticized his characteristic humility after it was known that Jorge Bergoglio himself had personally attended the hotel reception where he stayed in Rome just before being chosen as the 266th Pope, to pay for his stay. “I don’t like to see the Pope standing in the box of a hotel to pay his account”Donald Trump wrote on Twitter, still four years after his first presidency. “It is not typical of a Pope!”he said.
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Cristina Kirchner’s reaction to an Argentine Pope
In 2013, when Juan Bergoglio became Pope Francis, Cristina Kirchner He headed an act In the Technopolis property, but, unlike Trump, as at that time came from a Long series of clashes with —Py then – archbishop of Buenos Aires whom he used to call “opposition spiritual leader”, He avoided saying that the new head of the Catholic Church was Argentine And he attributed it to the complete region, defining it as “Latin American.”
Cristina said: “Today too It is a historic dayfor the first time in the history of the Church, in the 2000 years of the history of the Church, There will be a Pope who belongs to Latin America That we wish from the heart, to Francisco, first, that he can achieve greater degree of fellowship among peoples, among religions, that this option, by the name of Francisco, which I think is by San Francisco de Asís, The option of the poor It is really the option that high hierarchies can do so that we can finally reunite again throughout humanity, all human beings on equal terms, with fellowship, with love, justice and equity”.
The truth is that Bergoglio had been very critical of Nestor Kirchner and his “exhibitionist and strident” style. With Cristina the conflicts were due to the political situation: Bergoglio positioned himself in favor of agrarian producers in the conflict over resolution 125 and there was tension after the approval of the equal marriage. In 2013, after being anointed Pope, Kirchnerism improved the relationship with Francisco.
Among all the leaders who visited the Pope, the former president seems to have been his favorite, for the number of meetings. In total, Cristina Kirchner saw Francisco seven timesnot only in the Vatican, but also in Brazil, Paraguay and Cuba. In the first private hearing Francisco granted to him in the Vatican, Cristina confessed: “I thought you were something else”.
When the Argentine Pope died on April 21, the former president wrote: “The first time I was with Francisco in March 2013 I told him that, like megafon, he was expected heavenly battles. He laughed a lot and told me ‘It is my favorite book, I love Marechal’. We agree that Megaphon, or waremblematic literature of Leopoldo Marechal, was one of our favorite novels. That was the first time I met him as Pope. It was the face of a more human church, with the feet on the ground, while looking at the sky. We are going to miss Francisco, the sadness we have is infinite “, He said goodbye, demonstrating that his expectations set forth in the act in Tecnópolis had been fulfilled.
This Thursday, far from the demands imposed on Bergoglio in 2013, the president of the Justicialist Party referred to the words of hope about the new Catholic leader: “It is not necessary to clarify that I do not believe in the coincidences; and today, once again, I confirm it again. On the day of the Virgen de LujánPatroness from Argentina and Río Gallegos, We have a new Pope, who recalled Francisco, spoke to us in our language, prayed for peace and adopted the name of Leo XIV. Leo XIII was the Pope of work … Father of the social doctrine of the Church, from his wonderful encyclical rerum novarum. I said … I don’t believe in coincidences, “he approved.
Who is the new Pope Leo XIV
Robert Prevost is 69 years old and became the new occupant of the throne of San Pedro under the name of Leo XIV. He is the first American to achieve this honor. Born in Chicago On September 14, 1955, Prevost became a priest in 1982. He then graduated in mathematical sciences from the University of Villanova, achieved a master’s degree in Divinity for the “Catholic Theological Union”, and a degree and doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Santo Tomás de Aquino.
In 1987 he was appointed Director of Vocations and Director of the Missions of the Augustinian province of “Mother of Good Counsel” by Illinois; and in 1988 was sent to Trujillo’s mission (Peru) as director of Training of Applicants to Augustinians in the Vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos and Apurímac. Francisco appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015 and was at that time that he acquired Peruvian nationality.
In 2019, Pope Francis decided to make him a member of the Congregation for the clergy. In 2023 he was appointed prefect of the Dicasterio for the bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Robert Prevost’s choice as Pope Leo XIV represents a continuity of Francisco’s project: a less centralized, more inclusive and strong Latin American conscience. And it was not accidental.
HM/ML
