The journalist Francesca Capelli, head of the Latin American editorial staff of the newspaper “Il Globo”
“I am not particularly religious but from a personal point of view I am experiencing Pope Francis’ disease with an emotion that I didn’t think I could try. As a journalist, however, I was very impressed by the affection of the Argentines. Buenos Aires has mobilized to support with prayer, affection, gestures, “his” pontiff in this moment of suffering “.
Francesca Capelli He is an Italian journalist, he has lived in Argentina since 2012 where he has been working as head of the Latin American editorial staff of the newspaper The globe. “For the whole country, characterized by a strong nationalism, having an Argentine Pope is like being world champions, a reason for great pride in everyone’s eyes,” he says from Buenos Aires where he is now full summer, “in recent years I have known many people even non -believers or other religions who, however, have done everything to go to Rome to meet Francesco at the hearing and greet him”.
What memory does it have of the archbishop Bergoglio?
“Not very strong because I arrived here in 2012 and the following year, on March 13, 2013, it was elected Pope. I followed all the pontificate from his city and above all these days when Bergoglio’s health seems to falter, even if fortunately the news coming from Gemelli speak of conditions in the process of improving”.
What are the most important initiatives in Buenos Aires?
«In the basilica of San José de Flores, located in her childhood neighborhood, a few steps by her home, in Calle Member 53, various puts every day to pray are celebrated. Last Monday, despite the heat, hundreds of thousands of faithful found themselves in the afternoon in Plaza Constitción, in front of the station, to participate in the mass celebrated by Archbishop García Cuerva. It is one of the poorest and most infamous neighborhoods of the city, populated by prostitutes, drug addicts, drug dealers, petty crime. Bergoglio went every year at Christmas. A custom born one day when two two prostitutes who worked in the neighborhood approached Bergoglio to ask him if he was available to celebrate Mass for some of their friends. He said yes. It seemed very important and significant to me that the Church of Buenos Aires made him pay homage to him in such a symbolic place where he often went. “
Were there so many people?
«Very very much. Many poor people came from the Villas Miserias where in these days the priests have organized various masses and where Bergoglio always went while in the city the obelisk with the image of the pontiff and the word “Buenos Aires prays for you” was illuminated. The governor of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri, cousin of the former president, is among the members of the family of Calabrian origin that ever closer to the Italian community. Even by many non -believers or even anti -clerical, there is apprehension to the health of the pontiff ».
How do you explain this affection?
«Pope Francis, in addition to being very media, is also a non -divisive figure. As a bishop he had also had hard clashes with the former president Cristina Kirchner (in office from 2007 to 2013, editor’s note) and with Nestor himself but when he was elected these frictions are as disappeared. The country joined in the name of pride for having had the first Argentine Pope in history. Cristina, the day after her election, had the city of posters uphill to celebrate the event. We must not forget that as bishop, Bergoglio was very “accessible” to the faithful, he called himself, and he still called himself, “Father Jorge”, traveled on public transport, was a simple shepherd ».
Did people be disappointed by the fact that Bergoglio, as Pope, did not return to his city?
«Yes, there is a certain disappointment. They waited for him last year but in the end nothing was done. His failure to visit has remained an open theme. Someone feared patterns of clutch with the government and others interpreted it as the pontiff’s will not to be exploited from a political point of view. In reality, in these years of pontificate in Argentina four very different governments have followed each other. After Cristina, Mauricio Macri (from 2015 to 2019, ed)then Alberto Fernandez (from 2019 to 2023, editor’s note) and from 2023 Javier Milei. I don’t think the failure to visit is due to some rust in particular with this or that president. Moreover, the Pope received them all in the Vatican this year. Last year, in the encounter with Milei accompanied by his sister Karina, Bergoglio turns to his sister say: “Thanks to helping that there” “.
THE Media Argentini how are the Pope’s hospitalization telling?
“There is a very high media coverage. With the other foreign correspondents we have a common chat and all colleagues, regardless of religious creed, are very proven. We feel a little Argentini too and we live with great interest and also emotion this moment of Francis. And then let me tell me one last thing ».
Please.
“I have the impression that Bergoglio Pope is much more loved in Argentina than the Bergoglio Bishop who did not send her to say and also had hard clashes with Nestor Kirchner and his wife Cristina who happened to him for two mandates. Perhaps because, as a pope, he “intrude” less, we say so, on Argentine politics, even if he, yesterday as today, always raises his voice in defense of the poor and the last ».
