A question remained floating in the Church after the cordial greeting exchanged between Pope Francis and the president of the Nation and the unusually long audience that the pontiff granted him: Will
Javier Milei moderate his statements and commit to dialogue in the search for consensus? to overcome the crisis?
Because no one doubts in the ecclesiastical circles that Jorge Bergoglio - in addition to asking that the burdens of the adjustment be distributed as equitably as possible - recommended that he strive to reduce the level of verbal confrontation.
In truth,
Francisco's position is nothing new
, they remember.
It is the same one that he had been assuming as archbishop of Buenos Aires, along with his fellow bishops, since the crisis of 2001. But - they say - in the current context it takes on special significance due to the volcanic personality of the libertarian.
And also because, unlike Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, who were very confrontational - they established the famous rift -,
he suffers from evident legislative weakness
, with very few senators and deputies.
In addition to not having any governor.
For now, they highlight the
“healthy sign of coexistence”
that they gave to a very quarrelsome political leadership and a very tense society when they met.
In fact, the meeting had raised great expectations due to the
severe disqualifications that Milei had offered to Francis years ago
and later in the campaign (in addition to the critical allusions to the libertarian - although without naming him - of the Pope).
But the bad omens disappeared with the hug given by Milei and the friendly comments from Francisco.
In short, two people with
very high responsibilities and very different visions
had decided after the grievances, one to ask for forgiveness and the other - following the most basic Christian doctrine - to forgive, look forward and dialogue, something unusual in today's Argentina.
However, if you analyze the protagonists, it should not have attracted so much attention.
It is true - ecclesiastical sources point out - that Milei has a sometimes bellicose personality, manifested in his time as a television panelist and more here.
But it is also true that he is an emotional person - he cries easily as happened at the Wailing Wall - and, above all,
he is the most religious president of the Nation since the return to democracy
.
Which leads him to have a particular sensitivity towards a religious dignitary, regardless of whether or not he is of his creed.
There are those who claim that Milei was
advised by conspicuous experts in the Catholic Church
on the best way to retrace the path of grievances against the Pope and seek a rapprochement.
Those around him even claim that before traveling he asked for Francis' encyclicals to better understand his thoughts.
The truth is that - after the public apology at the end of the campaign - having prioritized the human relationship - beyond how spontaneous it was - was key, sources highlight.
The time that the Pope gave to the audience - the meeting of an official visit like the one Milei made usually lasts just over 20 minutes - was not only a deference from Francis, but also
his desire to personally know the figure and his thought
.
On the other hand, Francisco had treated Mauricio Macri when he was head of the Buenos Aires government and he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, so the first time he received him as president the time was normal.
Pope Francis and Mauricio Macri, in a meeting in 2016. Bergoglio's grim gesture was interpreted as a political signal.
However,
that meeting with Macri remained in the collective memory due to Francisco's stern gesture
in the photo that, although it was oversized, reflected a complex relationship.
Jorge Bergoglio blamed Macri for political disloyalty during his time as mayor, but he also considered that a sector of Cambiemos wanted him away from Argentine affairs.
Worse still: he believed - and he later told Macri as much - that important collaborators of his were campaigning against him.
From a very political perspective, there is no shortage of those who believe that Francisco was friendly with Milei and dedicated a lot of time to ensure a good reception from the libertarian voters - particularly the most anti-Peronist ones - in the event of visiting his homeland.
A visit supposedly planned for the second half
of the year - as the pontiff said at the end of the year - but which Francis remains unconfirmed, despite the fact that the president reiterated the invitation during the audience.
Others interpret that the Pope was cordial and willing with Milei
so as not to be accused of letting Milei go in the event of a failure of his government
.
In the Church they admit that there may be some of that, but that it is not the central thing.
“The Pope does not wash his hands, but he wants the country to do well and he is willing to help in whatever way he can, as he did to the extent that they asked him,” the sources point out.
Milei dedicated a good part of the meeting to presenting his diagnosis of the Argentine situation and the recipe that he considers should be applied.
Francisco listened to him attentively, but that does not mean - ecclesiastical sources clarify - that he has endorsed his economic plan
, as the president told an Italian journalist.
Beyond the fact that he seemed to be a very intelligent man, the Pope - as a clergyman - is not responsible for endorsing any technical issue of civil society, the Church clarifies.
In a fluid exchange,
it is noted that Francisco asked the government to equitably distribute the weight of the adjustment and assist the poorest as much as possible
.
As well as trying to lower the level of political confrontation and betting on the path of dialogue to reach minimum agreements with the opposition and the various sectors on how to overcome the crisis.
From what was seen in the days immediately after the meeting - especially due to his clashes with the governor of Córdoba, Martín Llaryora, and the singer Lali Espósito - it does not seem that the libertarian is going to moderate, at least for now.
But in the Church they do not lose hope that the Pope's request will be taken into account.