On the way to Morocco, the pope said that he hoped to visit "soon" in Argentina

Pope Francis arrived yesterday in the Kingdom of Morocco where he was received by King Mohamed VI / AP

Pope Francis said yesterday that he planned to visit "soon" in Argentina, about a visit to his native country, that he has not traveled yet since his enthronement in March 2013.

"We will see if I can go soon," said the Pontiff when journalists asked him about a possible trip to Argentina on the flight that took him yesterday from Rome to Rabat for a two-day visit. in Morocco.

Earlier this month, the Argentine bishops welcomed the pontiff for the sixth anniversary of his election and announced that they would renew an invitation to the country during the "ad limina" visit to the Vatican in May.

At the informal reception with Spanish-speaking journalists on board the plane, the pontiff said yesterday that he "would like" to go to Spain, another country that he does not want to do. has not visited since being elected Pope 266 of the Catholic Church. March 13, 2013.

This year, Jorge Bergoglio has already traveled to Panama, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and confirmed trips to Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania (May), as well as to Madagascar, Mozambique. and Mauritius (September).

Bishops' optimism

This week, the President of the Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA), the Bishop of San Isidro Oscar Ojea, pointed out that the Church wanted "that Pope Francis" go to Argentina, "adding that "It was his decision" "

In this context, Ojea confirmed that during the next visit that all the bishops will make to the Vatican between April 28 and May 18 – as part of the traditional "ad limina" visit – Francisco will be transmitted "the desire to visit the Argentina. "

In a message issued on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis on March 13, the bishops had foreseen that, during the visit to the Vatican, they would propose "not to deprive him of the joy "to travel to his native country, a sentence This has raised expectations and versions as to a possible trip for 2020.

"It was just an expression of desire, it is natural for us to tell him that we have the desire to come, but far from being a formal invitation or pressure, it would be ridiculous to think that we can put pressure on the pope for it to come, "Ojea said.

The prelate said that a possible trip for the year 2020, once past elections, "is a decision of him, who makes his decisions in consultation with the Secretary of State and with a vision personal ".

"We will be respectful of the decision he takes," he added.

And, he stressed that in the country "we must stop defrauding Francisco's teaching, do not reduce the papal theme to the fact that he smiles or not, whether or not he gives a rosary Whether it comes or not, for the Argentineans, in general, it costs the Pope to let him be pope, we want him to continue to be Argentinian ".

"We always want to put the pope in all the gaps and problems," concluded the bishop.

Six years of mandate

After the resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013, Bergoglio became the first American Pope of the Catholic Church.

And since then, he has visited most Latin American countries. He was already in Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Mexico.

Although Francisco decides to come "soon" to Argentina, as he has just said before the journalists who accompany him on his flight to Rabat (Morocco), he will remain the only pontiff of the last fifty-one years not to have visited his country the first year of his mandate.