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ReligionArgentina

Argentina bids farewell to their 'hometown' Pope Francis

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April 26, 2025

He was the first Pope from Latin America. How are the people in his hometown of Buenos Aires reflecting on Francis’ papacy?

When Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, he made history. Not only was he the first Jesuit to hold the office, he was also the first Latin American ever to ascend to the papacy. He chose the papal name Francis, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, for whom poverty was the deepest expression of faith. Always a man of the people, even during his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio preferred to take public transport than to be chauffeured. He regularly visited impoverished neighborhoods, and sought to build a church that stood with the marginalized. As Pope, he remained faithful to that spirit. Francis saw himself as a voice for the voiceless. He met with migrants, touched people's hearts with his gestures of humility, and lead by example with his modest lifestyle. Throughout his papacy, his deep connection to his homeland and his roots has never waned. How is he remembered in Argentina? How do people there view his time as head of the Catholic Church? Did the first Latin American Pope live up to the hopes placed in him? DW asked those questions in Buenos Aires.

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