Argentines mourn ‘humble’ pope and native son
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Natalie Alcoba, Lucía Cholakian Herrera and Daniel Politi
Little by little, the church pews of Argentina filled up on Monday.
Catholics woke up after a weekend filled with Easter celebrations to the news that Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a native son, had died. It was an emotional shock to a country still defined by its strong Roman Catholic tradition, and which had kept a close watch as the pope’s health deteriorated this year, and then appeared to improve.
Instead, grief-stricken Argentines noted what many considered a deeply personal loss before altars, with flowers, hand-scrawled messages and eclectic tokens of affection.
“I remember he was a good person, very humble. He always thought of the poor, always,” said Susana Perez, 67, at the Basílica de San José de Flores, a church just blocks away from Francis’ childhood home in Buenos Aires, the capital.
Condolences poured in from all political and religious corners, and reflections dominated local radio stations and television. Even as they paid tribute, some Argentines said they had hoped Francis would have returned to Argentina after he was elected pope.
Still, President Javier Milei declared seven days of mourning and midafternoon Masses of remembrance were quickly scheduled. At the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, schoolchildren talked about the pope’s death during a tour.
Before becoming pope, Francis’ pastoral work in Buenos Aires was defined by his commitment and involvement with the city’s poorer neighborhoods. As a result, many felt a personal connection to Francis and shared stories of their encounters with him.
Perez said she knew the pope before he became pontiff because he offered Mass on the street near her Buenos Aires home once a month. “He helped a lot in the soup kitchens, often donating money from his own pocket,” she said.
Francis also left a mark on Matilde Dolores’ life. “I knew him. He gave me my Confirmation,” said Dolores, 82, and a retired nurse. She was at the Basilica de San Jose de Flores wearing dark sunglasses, on a mission to pray for him.
“He was such a kind priest,” she said as she broke down in tears. “When he led the Mass, he always spoke up for the needy.”
At the cathedral mourners lined up to take photos of a framed photograph of the pope before a gilded altar. It was flanked by a papal tiara and a giant staff, meant to symbolize his pastoral work. In a notebook, they scrawled messages of condolences.
“He was just different,” said Diana Pallais, 56, a Nicaraguan who works for a software company, and was visiting Buenos Aires this week. “He believed we needed to understand each other and build bridges with gay people, with poor people, with immigrants. People who are being attacked by world leaders today.”
Norberto Rodríguez, 59, gripped a photo of Pope Francis that he had found on Facebook, printed and brought to the cathedral. He walked along the pews, extending the framed photograph so others could kiss it.
Rodríguez said he met the pope many years ago, before he became pontiff, after he delivered an outdoor Mass in a gritty part of Buenos Aires. He was living on the street at the time, lost and seeking direction.
“I gave him my hand,” he said. “He told me to follow God. That there may be bad times, but that you’re never alone.”
Camila de la Cruz, a 26-year-old studying to become a kindergarten teacher, brought two offerings for Francis to the cathedral: a rosary and stamps from San Lorenzo soccer club.
“He was a fan of San Lorenzo — the club was his home,” she said.
Even after becoming pope, de la Cruz said, he remained humble — always caring for the less privileged and preaching empathy. “He kept all of us in mind,” she said. “He never forgot Argentina. He never stopped praying for his country and his beloved San Lorenzo.”
Among Argentines, there were also those who criticized the pope for expressing views about Argentine society, including a rise in poverty, that many regarded as showing sympathy for left-leaning administrations.
“I think that because of his position he should have been more neutral,” said German Zabala, 42, an Uber driver. Still, “it’s a great loss,” he said, lamenting, like many other Argentines, that the pope never made it back to his native soil.
“It would have been a revolution for us,” Zabala said, “because we were waiting for him.”
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