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Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why Pope's death leaves Argentines 'orphaned' in more ways than one
When the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, left Argentina's capital to participate in the Vatican conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI's successor, he did not know it would be the last time he would see his hometown. The fact that Pope Francis never returned to his country after becoming the pontiff left some Argentines with a heavy heart. Speaking on Monday, Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva said his parish were "orphans of a father who profoundly loved his country and had to learn to become the father of the whole world". He also added that Francis becoming Pope "cost us as Argentines a little bit... Bergoglio left us to become Francis". LIVE UPDATES: Follow the latest after the Pope's death IN PICTURES: Defining images of Pope Francis's life PROFILE: Acting head of the Vatican Cardinal Kevin Farrell EXPLAINER: How the next pope is chosen It came as a surprise to many – including Bergoglio himself – that he was elected to the highest office in the Catholic Church in the first place. At 76 years old at the time - one year older than the typical age of bishops and cardinals when they submit their resignation to the pope - he was not seen as a real candidate to fill the vacancy, according to analysts. "When he left Buenos Aires for the conclave, he seemed somewhat sad; he was getting ready to retire in a room at the Priests' Home in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Flores," Guillermo Marcó, a priest from the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, told Argentine newspaper Clarín. However, Bergoglio would soon begin a papacy that lasted 12 years. His death has been particularly keenly felt in his home country, where seven days of national mourning have been declared - as Argentina grieves a man many regarded as simple and humble, despite holding one of the most powerful offices in the world. Those qualities were praised by Elenir Ramazol, a nun who spoke to BBC Mundo during a vigil at the Buenos Aires cathedral on Monday. The fact he did not return to his homeland was "a sign of the total commitment he made to the whole Church, not just to his people, to his country", Ms Ramazol said. Gustavo Vera exchanged hundreds of letters with Francis, having become friends with him when he was still archbishop. He agreed that the pontiff always showed an enduring interest in what was happening in his home country. "Sometimes he commented on soccer, sometimes on tango, sometimes on cultural events," Mr Vera, the leader of La Alameda, an Argentine anti-trafficking and slavery organisation, said. Francis followed Argentine news "in detail", he added. During his papacy, Francis visited four of the five countries that border Argentina - but never his home country, despite continuing to take a keen interest in it. He was loved by many there who now mourn him, but others remember him as a controversial figure. The initial pride felt by most Argentines after the announcement that a fellow countryman would be the first Latin American pope gave way to disenchantment among some over the years. A Pew Research Center survey suggested that the proportion of people who held a positive view of the pontiff fell from 91% in 2013 to 64% in 2024. Of six Latin American countries surveyed, the largest drop in favourable attitudes was recorded in Argentina. Conservatives in Argentina accused him of undermining historical traditions they held sacred, while reformers hoped for more profound changes. Critics felt he failed to do enough to oppose the country's brutal military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s and to criticise the complicity of some figures in the Church. Every time he was asked about a possible trip, Pope Francis gave vague answers. "I would like to go. It's my people, but it hasn't been planned yet. There are several things to sort out first," he said the last time he was publicly asked about the subject, in September 2024. Some fellow Argentines found this hesitation difficult to understand. The pontiff's absence has been felt more acutely in recent years, as Argentina has endured a profound economic crisis, with annual inflation reaching nearly 300% and a sharp increase in poverty. Mr Vera suggests that Francis was planning to visit, but had not yet done so because he wanted to avoid his presence being used for political purposes. "He always used to say he would go to Argentina when he felt that he was an instrument to bring about national unity, to help overcome the rift, to try to bring Argentines back together," Mr Vera said. The "rift" refers to the vast, decades-long gulf in Argentine politics and society between supporters and opponents of the populist political movement Peronism, founded by late President Juan Perón in the 1940s. There is a widespread belief in the country that Pope Francis was a Peronist - something he denied in a book in 2023, while adding: "If we had a Peronist conception of politics, what would be wrong with that?" The comment was seized upon by conservative detractors who accused him of being too closely aligned with social justice causes and left-wing politics. Before taking office, Javier Milei, the current president who has demonised left-wing politics, even called Pope Francis "the representation of evil on Earth" - although he softened his tone after coming to power. The two had a cordial meeting in the Vatican and President Milei officially invited the pontiff to Argentina. And following the Pope's death, Milei said he was deeply pained by his loss, and praised the pontiff's benevolence and wisdom. Some Argentines accused him of being too close to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a divisive left-leaning populist politician, who was president from 2007 to 2015. But according to Mr Vera, the Pope met with people "from the whole political and social spectrum of Argentina". The late pontiff's friend also pointed out that, while there was some criticism of Pope Francis in the media and major urban centres, he was loved in other parts of the country. Although he maintained his connection with Argentina, Mr Vera said, Pope Francis no longer felt he belonged to just one country. "Argentines believe he was Argentinian, but in reality, he was a citizen of the world," he added. It is a view shared by Alejandra Castro, a social worker who was among the mourners who gathered on Monday night at Buenos Aires cathedral. Argentina was "always in his prayers", Ms Castro said. "In one way or another, he was always present, and I think that shows that in his heart, Argentina was always present." But Mr Vera acknowledged that not everyone felt the same way, and suggested it was up to Argentines to look within themselves for answers: "Rather than blaming Francis, we Argentines should ask ourselves what we were doing that meant we did not deserve the Pope's visit." 'God chose this day' - World's Catholics mourn Pope's Easter death Final days of Pope who joined Vatican crowds at Easter despite doctors' advice Watch: 'Our father has died' - World mourns for Pope Francis
Telegraph
29-03-2025
- Telegraph
No, it will never be ethical to use animals for fun on holiday
I was once a fool who rode an elephant. Knowing what I do now about the industry, it is one of the most shameful things I've ever done. As a then 18-year-old backpacker in Thailand, I do remember swaying on its back, feeling not quite right about it; but naively, I assumed it was OK since it was so popular back then, and selfishly, I just wanted to be as close as possible to this magnificent beast. So I appreciate the temptation – ironically, particularly among animal-lovers – to gravitate towards interactions with exotic species while travelling. But in this day and age, it is simply inexcusable. No, it can never be ethical to ride a mammal for fun, nor to swim with a confined sea creature or pose for a photo with a zoo inmate, for that matter. How would you like it if an army of aliens, far more intelligent humans, descended upon Earth, rounded us up, muzzled us, and kept us behind bars only to be wheeled out and mounted for entertainment? Or, if that sounds too obscure a notion, would you hire out your beloved dog or cat for several hours a day to be prodded and toyed with by strangers just for a bit of extra cash? No? Well then. There are so many reasons we should be severing our long-standing association with animals as for-profit amusement. We've been jailing and enslaving them right from the start of humanity, and it is, in my opinion, a ghastly trait that needs to be left in the past. For a start, it is dangerous for tourists to be snuggling up to wild animals, even those that are sold as 'domesticated' (which often means drugged or beaten into submission). Earlier this year, a 22-year-old Spanish traveller was gored to death by an elephant in Thailand, and she wasn't even riding it; merely helping to give it a bath. Blanca Ojanguren García was washing the animal at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre when it sank its tusk into her, with experts telling the Clarín newspaper that the elephant had likely become stressed due to the pressure of living and interacting with tourists outside of its ecosystem. On its website, the elephant centre says it is committed to 'providing responsible and ethical interactions with elephants' and that it does not 'control' or 'use a hook on our elephants'. According to data from the Thai department of national parks, there have been at least 227 deaths in the country caused by elephant attacks in the past 12 years, including 39 fatalities in 2024 alone. On one hand, I have seen vast improvements in awareness since I was a teenager. You only have to look at the worldwide outrage triggered earlier this month when American influencer Sam Jones posted an idiotic video of herself snatching a baby wombat from its mother in Australia, and faced the full wrath of the internet and a withering condemnation from the Australian Prime Minister. Documentaries like Blackfish, the 2013 film that exposed the dark side to SeaWorld – a company that for decades exploited whales and dolphins performing tricks in glorified swimming pools – have been pivotal, too, in changing public perception. SeaWorld responded by announcing that it would upgrade its theme parks and enlarge its tanks – but the damage was done, and almost every major UK tour operator, from TripAdvisor to Virgin Holidays and British Airways Holidays, stopped selling tickets to their parks in protest. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has been particularly aggressive in its efforts to get more travel companies to boycott what it calls 'abusement parks'. The charity's vice president of programmes Elisa Allen tells Telegraph Travel: 'Jet2holidays recently cut ties with cruel marine parks, Airbnb ditched camel and horse rides at the Giza pyramids, where animals are routinely whipped, and Easyjet has stopped promoting all activities for which captive animals are used for 'entertainment' or tourist transport. 'After watching PETA's exposés, which show how animals are beaten, starved, covered in sores and quite literally worked to death, responsible companies can no longer turn a blind eye to their suffering. Yet, while the tide is turning, TUI remains a disgraceful outlier as it is the last major UK travel provider to still sell tickets to marine parks.' TUI did not respond to Telegraph Travel 's request for comment. We also spoke to Humane World for Animals, which heralds victories too. Last year, for example, Australia's Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld brought an end to all direct human interactions with tigers. In the UK, after much campaigning, our nation introduced the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which – as if weren't already blindingly obvious – recognises them as sentient beings and aims to ensure their welfare is considered in policy decisions, including restrictions on activities that involve direct interactions with wild animals. Still, however, zoos (which I've railed against in the past and shall forever more) continue to prosper in the UK and abroad. In the US, nearly 1,000 exhibitors offer public encounters with wild animals; a number that nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021. In South Africa, there are more than twice the number of lions suffering in captivity as part of attractions such as 'cub-petting' than remain there in the wild. And SeaWorld, having seemingly fallen from its previous popularity levels in the West, has instead been expanding into the Middle East, having launched a new £1 billion 'mega development' in Abu Dhabi in 2023. Progress has been made, but there is a long way to go. So if you encounter what looks like a grey area when it comes to an enticing animal interaction on your next holiday – whether that be a donkey ride in Blackpool or a dolphin high-five in the Caribbean – ask yourself the following: 'If I was this creature, would I want to be involved in this?' Or even, 'if I owned this animal myself, would I rent it out to tourists?' If the answer to either is no, then you've found your stance.
