Apostolic Palace, February 12: Pope Francis Receives President Javier Gerardo Milei of the Argentine Republic at Canonization Mass of First Argentine Saint Mama Antula
Editorial (12/02/2024 08:54, Gaudium Press) Sunday, February 11, marked the first meeting between the Pope and the President of Argentina. They met both before and after the canonization mass of the first Argentine Saint Mama Antula at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Mama Antula Canonized
Mama Antula, the founder of a spiritual retreat house in Buenos Aires is known for her advocacy for the poor and disadvantaged. After a brief exchange of greetings in the sacristy, there was a handshake between the Pope and President Milei’s sister.
Papal Audience and Gift Exchange
Today’s audience, the first official meeting between the Bishop of Rome and the President, took place behind closed doors in the Library of the Apostolic Palace, lasting about an hour from 9 to 10 am. It concluded with a greeting to the delegation, a group photo, and the traditional exchange of gifts. In addition to typical Argentine sweets, the President also presented the Pope with a folder containing a copy of Chancellor José Maria Gutierrez’s handwritten letter to Juan Bautista Alberdi accrediting him as “Charge d’Affaires,” the representative in Europe to the Pope (May 1854). He also gave a commemorative postcard of Mama Antula, distributed by the Argentine Postal Service on the occasion of her beatification in August 2017.
Francisco reciprocated with volumes of papal documents, this year’s Message for Peace, and a book about the Statio Orbis in St. Peter’s Square and, a bronze medallion inspired by the St. Peter’s Baldachin with the inscription, “evokes the image of heaven, represented within the dome of the Baldachin. This detail symbolizes the harmony between the sacred and the divine, uniting Heaven and Earth in a unique vision.”
New Argentine Government Program
According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, the conversation with the Pope addressed the new government’s program to combat the economic crisis, various international issues, particularly ongoing conflicts, and the commitment to peace among nations.
Compiled by Christopher Hurst with information from Vatican News, Holy See Press Office.
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