Pope Francis' Argentine hometown observes seven days of mourning for the beloved 'Slum Pope'
Argentines mourned their countryman Pope Francis during a special Mass on Monday in the Buenos Aires cathedral where the late pontiff was once an archbishop. Current archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva spoke of Francis' time working in the city's poor districts, that led to his nickname the 'slum pope.' Some Argentines had hoped Francis would return to his homeland as pontiff but respected his focus on the poor and his liberal reforms. The government has ordered seven days of mourning.
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The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Pope Leo XIV names first Chinese bishop, signalling he is continuing Vatican's controversial accord
Pope Leo XIV made his first appointment of a Chinese bishop under the Vatican's 2018 agreement with Beijing, signalling he is continuing one of Pope Francis' most controversial foreign policy decisions. The Vatican expressed satisfaction that Pope Leo's June 5 nomination of Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou was recognised Wednesday (June 11, 2025) by Chinese authorities. The Vatican said in a statement that Lin taking possession of the diocese and the civic recognition of his appointment 'constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is a significant step in the diocese's communal journey.' Pope Francis had riled conservatives when he approved a deal in 2018 over bishop nominations, which had been the most divisive issue in Vatican-China relations since diplomatic ties were severed when the Communists came to power. China had insisted on an exclusive right to name bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican asserted the pope's exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles. China's estimated 12 million Catholics have been divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn't recognise papal authority and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution. The Vatican tried for decades to unify the flock and the 2018 deal was aimed at healing that division, regularising the status of seven bishops who weren't recognised by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and the Vatican. The details of the 2018 deal were never released, but it affords the state-controlled church a say in its church leaders, though Francis insisted he retained veto power over the ultimate choice. The deal has been criticized by some, especially on the Catholic right, for having caved to Beijing's demands and sold out the underground faithful in China. The Vatican has said it was the best deal it could get and has been renewed periodically since then. One of the big foreign policy questions facing Pope Leo, history's first American pope, was whether he would continue renewing the accord or heed conservative demands and make some changes. There have been apparent violations on the Beijing side with some unilateral appointments that occurred without papal consent. The issue came to a head just before the conclave that elected Pope Leo, when the Chinese church proceeded with the preliminary election of two bishops, a step that comes before official consecration.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Argentine leader Milei licking his chops ahead of October elections
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A big victory would not give Mr. Milei a legislative majority, but it would offer him leverage to make deals to sell off government-owned companies, cut social spending, change tax and labour policy and embrace social conservatism. That plan is in stark contrast to the programme of the parties that are the ideological descendants of General Juan Peron, who ruled the country from 1946-1955 and 1973-1974, and his wife Evita. Their governments nationalised industries, unveiled pro-labour policies and rolled out social programmes, including free healthcare. The economic stability spurred by Milei, who took power in late 2023 and quickly slashed spending as part of a shock therapy program to pull the South American country out of a deep crisis, has not translated into across-the-board improvements. Prices of basic goods like jeans and tennis shoes are reportedly double what they are in other parts of the Americas. Pensioners continue to protest the cost of living, and anger over the relatively poor salaries of healthcare workers at a respected pediatric hospital has turned into a months-long saga. Nearly 40% of Argentines remain in poverty, and many of them reject Mr. Milei's policies. "I'm not a Peronist, but I'll vote for them because I'd vote for anyone before Mr. Milei," said Jorge, a 42-year-old "cartonero" who collects cardboard for recycling, an extremely poor living. The man, who declined to give his last name, said one of his four children was treated at the pediatric hospital where staff are protesting. Posing another threat to Mr. Milei's popularity is the possibility that he may in the coming months have to further tighten economic policy to meet the terms of a $20 billion International Monetary Fund loan that has boosted Argentina's reputation among investors, whose dollars the country desperately needs. 'Rupture is inevitable' Up for grabs in the election is the vast province surrounding the capital, Buenos Aires, which is the geographic heart of Peronism and home to 40% of the country's voters. A government source told reporters Milei has vowed to defeat Peronist Governor Axel Kicillof Milei's candidate unexpectedly placed first in a recent Buenos Aires local election, and consulting firm Observatorio Electoral shows Mr. Milei's Libertad Avanza party with a slim 37%-36% advantage over the center-left Peronists. Nationally, 42% of voters favour Mr. Mr. Milei against 23% for the Peronists. Beating the standard-bearers of Juan Peron's legacy would have seemed impossible a few years ago, but with inflation down to a projected 30% this year, from 118% last year, and Mr. Milei credited with cutting corruption, some voters are ready to give the political firebrand more power. 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"If there is no agreement for the legislative elections and Peronism is divided, La Libertad Avanza will win the elections in the province of Buenos Aires," the source said. Mr. Milei, meanwhile, has patched over divisions with his closest ideological neighbor, agreeing to offer a combined list of candidates with the center-right PRO party. The Peronists make up the largest party in Congress and have dozens of governors and mayors across the country. Observatorio Electoral pollster Julio Burdman, however, thinks that power base won't be enough to stop Mr. Milei's forces. "The ruling party has all the conditions" to win the most votes, he said. "I can't imagine any other result."
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First Post
4 days ago
- First Post
'God opens border': Pope Leo rejects ‘exclusionary mindset' of nationalists. Is Trump the target?
Pope Francis condemned the emergence of nationalist political movements and their 'exclusionary mindset'. Many believe that the 'American Pope' was taking jabs at Trump read more The new sovereign of the Vatican, Pope Leo, has condemned the emergence of nationalist political movements and their 'exclusionary mindset', without naming a specific leader of a country, with many wondering if he was calling out the country he is from, the United States. It is pertinent to note that Leo was the first American Pope. The remarks from the head of the Vatican came during a mass on Sunday, when thousands gathered at St Peter's Square. During the mass, the Pope emphasised that God 'opens borders, breaks down walls [and] dispels hatred'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,' he said. Pope Leo calls for more openness The pontiff insisted that the church 'must open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race'. 'People must move beyond our fear of those who are different,' he explained, adding that the Holy Spirit 'breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred'. Pope Leo, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected as the Vatican sovereign on May 8. He succeeded the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4 billion-member church. Before he was elected to the post, Prevost was open with his criticism of US President Donald Trump. He often shares several disapproving posts about the US president and vice president, JD Vance, on X in recent years. However, it is pertinent to note that the Vatican never confirmed the pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost. Interestingly, the X handle was instantly deactivated after the Pope was elected. Pope Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, who served in the post for 12 years, was also a sharp critic of Trump. In January this year, Pope Francis said that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the US during his second term was a disgrace. Francis has often said that Trump was not Christian because of his views on immigration. 'A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,' he said when asked about Trump in 2016.
