Why Pope Francis could visit the country in 2020 – 03/17/2019

The date of Pope Francis' possible visit to his country during his six years of pontificate has given rise to numerous forecasts that have proven to be false.

With the caution required by such antecedents, one could say that speculation about a trip to his native country in 2020 took a certain degree of likelihood last week. This was triggered by the announcement Wednesday of all the Argentine bishops gathered at Pilar that at their next meeting with the pontiff in Rome, they will tell him that "do not deprive yourself of the joy of visiting us".

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The hundred prelates will make you do in three rounds Between late April and early May, the traditional visit "at the limit" (on the threshold of Peter's presidency) that every five years should be presented to the pope by bishops from around the world. A visit that aims to inform about the state of the Church in their respective countries in the context of different national realities. In the case of the Argentineans, it will be the first in Francisco, since the precedent was in 2009 to Benedict XVI. This makes it particularly relevant for the national episcopate.

In this context and, above all, since the current leadership of the national episcopate led by the Bishop of San Isidro, Oscar Ojea, is perfectly aligned with that of Francisco, many members of the ecclesiastical media believe that the announcement of the invitation to the pope had been approved. the pontiff himself. "To say publicly that you will be asked not to deprive yourself of the joy of visiting the country when you are late, this puts pressure on the pope and it is unthinkable that this conduct pressthey interpret.

The fact that 2020 is no longer an election year suggests the possibility of a visit because a pope, in general, does not visit a country involved in an election campaign for not securing himself. embarrbad in the fire of the party's action.

However, the fact that elections are held at the end of October in Argentina makes it easier, in the eyes of more than one ecclesiastical observer, that Francisco announces the announcement of his visit before the elections, so that no relationship is established between his result and the decision of the pontiff.

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Their reasoning is as follows: if the final announcement is late and a Peronist wins, voices will be raised so that he does not come to Argentina because the president was Mauricio Macri, with whom he is supposed not to sympathize. It does not matter that during the first three years of the papacy, the president is Cristina Kirchner and that she did not come either. And if Macri wins, they add, he will be sure of those who claim that he had no choice but to accept it because he continued to postpone the trip, his pontificate would be very advanced.

Beyond the interpretations of why Francisco has not visited his country yet, in the Vatican, we consider that "the conditions are not given" At least, they were not up to now, because the "crack" could put his footsteps on opposing sectors to capitalize on him and endless readings of every word and every gesture for or against l & # 39; other. In addition to the offers to have a picture with him, the spirits being very hot, there could be moments of tension and friction between antagonistic groups, "they badume.

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It is true that Francisco has made difficult visits, for example in Colombia, a country very divided by the peace agreements concluded with the FARC guerrillas, which he has endorsed, the case of the FARC. Argentina, they say in Rome, it is special because it is their Country. And since there will be more Argentine pope in many years, he will surely want to leave a mark on the Church and the life of his homeland. And for that, if we do not have to wait for an ideal utopian situation, the spirits should calm down a little, they're done. The post-election period could help.

As for the interior of the Church of Argentina, certain circumstances pay for papal travel next year. For the moment, Francisco has a national ecclesiastical leadership well aligned with him for over a year.with the bishop of San Isidro, Oscar Ojea, as president of the episcopate; the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Mari Poli, in the First Vice President, and the Archbishop of Mendoza, Marcelo Colombo, in the second. Besides the Archbishop of La Plata, Víctor Fernández – perhaps the best interpreter – to the presidency of the Faith and Culture Commission, and the Bishop of Lomas de Zamora, Jorge Lugones, to the Social Pastoral, between other.

To this is added a series of relevant anniversaries. For the moment, the first april 2020 will be the 500th anniversary of the first Mbad celebrated in what is now the Argentine territory. It was a Palm Sunday in the Bay of the present Puerto San Julián, in the province of Santa Cruz. And it was officiated by the Spanish priest Pedro de Valderrama, who accompanied the expedition of Hernando de Magallanes, who was looking for an exit to the Pacific. In recent years, the episcopate has been planning initiatives to commemorate it. By 2020, they will also be satisfied 400 years of the creation of the Diocese of Buenos Aires, whose cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was archbishop until his election as pope. And the Virgin of the Catamarca Valley. It will also be the National Year Mariano.

For the rest, there are those who go further in ecclesiastical media and imagine that an announcement of their visit to the country would be accompanied by a message with a number of goals for their coming . In addition, of course, in order to promote Catholic work in your country, you can express your desire to contribute to the national union for – on the basis of basic agreements – to face the great challenges of the country. But, again, you have to be careful. The predictions up to now have failed. And, as we know, it is not easy to decode what a Jesuit has in his head.

NMD