By Lucila Sigal and Miguel Lo Bianco
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentines, fresh from holding Easter family gatherings around the parrilla barbecue, woke on Monday to the sad news that Pope Francis, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, had died in the Vatican at the age of 88 after battling illness.
Born in Buenos Aires as Jorge Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents, Francis was the first Latin American pope. Some in his homeland regretted that he never returned as pontiff, but he gained plaudits for his focus on the poor.
“It is with profound sorrow that I learned this sad morning that Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, passed away today and is now resting in peace,” Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei wrote in a message on social media platform X.
Milei, a bombastic economist strongly in favor of free markets, had clashed with the pope previously, lambasting him as a socialist and even calling him the devil’s representative on earth, though patched things up once in office.
Argentina’s presidency office praised Pope Francis’ focus on inter-religious dialogue, building up spirituality amongst the young and for pushing cost-cutting in the Vatican, something that tallies with Milei’s ‘chainsaw’ austerity.
“Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me,” Milei added on X. “I bid farewell to the Holy Father and stand with all of us who are today dealing with this sad news.”
In the still-dark early morning outside the Buenos Aires cathedral, most Argentines were still just finding out about the news as they made their way to work. A mass for Pope Francis was expected to be held at 8.30 a.m. local time (1130 GMT).
(Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Writing by Adam Jourdan)
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