Francis: The most important Argentine in history

Later today, in a simple, marble tomb inside a fifth-century Roman basilica, the most important Argentine in history will be laid to rest. 

There are other competitors for that invented and debatable title, but for me, none who hail from this land can compete with Pope Francis – the man who for the vast majority of his life was better known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Flores, Buenos Aires City.

Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona may have taken the nation’s name global through football, Jorge Luis Borges may have frazzled brains with his literary magic and Ernesto ‘Che’ Guervera may have inspired a revolutionary spirit in millions, but none of them can match the Argentine pontiff, who has been the spiritual leader of some 1.4 billion people – close to a fifth of the world’s population – for the past 12 years.

Like his aforementioned compatriots (let’s limit the field here for argument’s sake – apologies to San Martín, Perón, Favaloro and the likes), it is Francis’ deeds, as much as his words, that have made the impact.

I often say that context is key and it is in that light that we should view Francis’ arrival of the papacy. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, was a cold theologian with a questionable past and a questionable handle on the key issues facing a troubled Catholic Church. 

At the end of the German’s time in charge, tales of corruption, dodgy finances and sex abuse swirled in the air. But perhaps more crucially than that, Catholicism seemed cold and detached – Benedict was far from a people person, more at home discussing theology than greeting well-wishers, kissing the heads of babies and working the crowd.

Enter Francis. From the very first moment – his greeting to the crowd in St Peter’s Square,  his choice of name (after St Francis of Assisi, who famously devoted his life to the poor) – everything was drenched in symbolic, designed to send a clear message to those distant from the Vatican. 

He washed the feet of prisoners in Rome, visited an Italian island full of migrants for his first overseas trip, spoke out against climate change, eschewed the luxuries of tradition to live in humble housing, stood up for the oppressed and marginalised and even made his own phone calls, often delighting those who least expected a call from the papal hotline.

These symbols, fired out like emergency broadcasts from the Vatican and carefully chosen to draw media attention, spoke volumes. And they would keep on coming, right until the end – see his choice of burial site, coffin and tombstone.

Also overlooked is Francis’ contribution to interfaith dialogue, a crucially important step in times of polarisation, religious tensions and discrimination. Despite the attempts of some voices to lump an entire faith in together, stereotyping millions of followers with their sweeping brush of condemnation, reaching across religious aisles builds bridges and erases some of the fear of the unknown that seems to dominate so much discrimination.

But this is not an attempt at hagiography. Critics abound nowadays and when it comes to Francis, it’s no different. He faced controversy over his role during the dark days of Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship (a take challenged by many of his supporters), for his opposition to government policies (whatever its colour) and for shaking up some of the conservative Catholic ranks. There has also been a failure to really get to grips with corruption and the sickening scale and cover-ups of child sex abuse throughout the worldwide Church, a theme this newspaper has returned to time and again in our past 400 editions.

But to be the most important Argentine in history, Francis doesn’t have to have been a saint.  For me, his right to the title lies in his impact – and the echoes it will trace through history. 

He will be remembered as a man who reorientated and reinvigorated a Church, bringing it closer in actions and soul to its people and acting as a counter-balance in an era of political polarisation and isolationism.

As many of the world’s leaders encourage us to turn away from others, Francis showed the world – and Argentina – the importance of looking out for the poor and the marginalised, for our local communities and even those beyond our borders, to recognise the human dignity we all hold and deserve to receive.

Jorge Bergoglio is the most important Argentine in history and his impact will be remembered for decades to come, beyond the borders that define this nation.