Argentina and the Pope

The awkward couple

A discomfited government puts a brave face on the
election of Pope Francis, while its propagandists use
history as a political weapon
Mar 23rd 2013 | BUENOS AIRES |From the print edition
THE Pa!a de Ma"o# the main $%&are in the 'entre o( B&eno$ Aire$# i$ home to )oth the
pre$identia paa'e and the Roman *athoi' 'athedra+ Be(ore $&nri$e on Mar'h 1,th the
$%&are -a$ pa'.ed -ith Ar/entine$ -ho had 'ome to -at'h a i0e )road'a$t o( the
ina&/&ration in Rome o( their 'ompatriot# 1or/e Mario Ber/o/io# a$ Pope Fran'i$+
Un$&rpri$in/" in an o0er-hemin/" *athoi' 'o&ntr"# ordinar" Ar/entine$ -ere o0er2o"ed
a)o&t the ee0ation o( the ar'h)i$hop o( B&eno$ Aire$ to )e the ne- head o( the 'h&r'h+ B&t
the rea'tion o( the o''&pant o( the pre$identia paa'e# *ri$tina Fern3nde! de 4ir'hner# and
her a'o"te$ to the ne-$ that her (ormer nei/h)o&r ha$ )e'ome the -ord5$ mo$t po-er(&
Ar/entine -a$ a ot more am)i0aent+ And rea'tion to the ne- pope a$o re0eaed ho- (ar
Ar/entina remain$ di0ided a)o&t -hat happened )e(ore and d&rin/ it$ miitar" di'tator$hip
o( the 1,60$+
M$ Fern3nde! r&$hed to Rome (or &n'h -ith Pope Fran'i$ the da" )e(ore hi$ ina&/&ration+
She /a0e him a /o&rd (or drin.in/ mat# a traditiona her) tea# and /&$hed on re'ei0in/ a
papa .i$$ in ret&rn+ She tod reporter$ that $he had a$.ed Fran'i$ to inter0ene in $&pport o(
her /o0ernment5$ demand (or a diao/&e -ith Britain o0er Ar/entina5$ 'aim to the
Fa.and 7Ma0ina$8 i$and$+ That the i$and$ $ho&d )e Ar/entine i$ one o( the (e- thin/$
the pope and the pre$ident a/ree on# tho&/h he -i no- ha0e man" hi/her prioritie$+
A$ nei/h)o&r$ in the Pa!a de Ma"o# their reation$ ran/ed (rom (ro$t" to ho$tie+ *ardina
Ber/o/io )a'.ed (armer$ -ho 'a$hed -ith M$ Fern3nde! in 2009 o0er a ta: ri$e+ The"
a$o di$a/reed o0er the pre$ident5$ appro0a o( a 2010 a- to e/ai$e /a" marria/e+ Perhap$
&n(air"# he a''&$ed M$ Fern3nde! and her prede'e$$or and h&$)and# N;$tor 4ir'hner# o(
doin/ too itte to ta'.e the -ide$pread po0ert" that (oo-ed Ar/entina5$ e'onomi' and
(inan'ia 'oap$e o( 2001<02+
The pre$ident5$ trip to Rome oo.ed i.e a $-i(t e:er'i$e in dama/e imitation+ Her initia
etter o( 'on/rat&ation -a$ $ti((# in 'ontra$t to the enth&$ia$m e:pre$$ed )" other =atin
Ameri'an eader$+ >hen ne-$ o( hi$ ee'tion )ro.e# her $&pporter$ in Ar/entina5$ *on/re$$
re(&$ed to interr&pt a e&o/" to ?ene!&ea5$ ate pre$ident# H&/o *h30e!+ >hie pri0ate
tee0i$ion 'hanne$ $treamed &ninterr&pted (oota/e (rom the ?ati'an# $tate<o-ned *hanne
6 pre(erred a 'hidren5$ 'artoon+
One o( M$ Fern3nde!5$ 'o$e$t )a'.er$ then ra.ed &p an a''&$ation that *ardina
Ber/o/io# -hen head o( the Ar/entine )ran'h o( the 1e$&it order in the 1,60$# had )een
'ompi'it in the 'rime$ o( Ar/entina5$ 'r&e and repre$$i0e miitar" di'tator$hip )et-een
1,6@ and 1,93+ Hora'io ?er)it$."# an in0e$ti/ati0e 2o&rnai$t -ho a$ editor o( Pagina 12# a
ne-$paper# ha$ )een 'hie( propa/andi$t (or the 4ir'hner /o0ernment$# 'aimed in 1,,, that
Father Ber/o/io had handed o0er t-o 1e$&it prie$t$ to the na0"# -hi'h hed them (or (i0e
month$+ The prie$t$ had (aied to heed hi$ -arnin/ that the" $ho&d ea0e the poor di$tri't
-here the" -or.ed# (or their o-n prote'tion# a(ter a a" -or.er had 2oined the Montonero$#
a /&erria mo0ement+
Thi$ -ee. Mr ?er)it$." p&)i$hed a (orei/n<mini$tr" do'&ment o( 1,6, -hi'h appeared to
$&//e$t that Father Ber/o/io had re'ommended that one o( the prie$t$# Fran! 1ai'$# -ho
had (ed to Aerman" a(ter hi$ reea$e# $ho&d )e denied a pa$$port )e'a&$e o( hi$ $&$pe'ted
in.$ -ith e(ti$t /&erria /ro&p$+ The ne- pope -a$ de'eit(&# ar/&e$ Mr ?er)it$."B -hie
pretendin/ to hep the prie$t$ p&)i'"# he had pri0ate" -or.ed a/ain$t them+
At (ir$t /an'e# the do'&ment oo.$ damnin/+ B&t a'ademi'$ -ho ha0e $t&died Ar/entina5$
poiti'a 0ioen'e o( the 1,60$ thin. there i$ no e0iden'e that Father Ber/o/io heped the
di'tator$hip# and he him$e( ha$ re2e'ted that ae/ation+ Mar'o$ No0aro# a $o'ioo/i$t at the
Uni0er$it" o( B&eno$ Aire$# thin.$ that Father Ber/o/io did not -ant Father 1ai'$ to )e
/ranted a pa$$port )e'a&$e he -a$ a(raid he -o&d )e .ied i( he ret&rned to Ar/entina+
Father 1ai'$ him$e( $tated thi$ -ee. that Father Ber/o/io did not in(orm on him and hi$
'oea/&e+ =ori$ Canatta# a hi$torian o( the Ar/entine 'h&r'h# $a"$ he ha$ (o&nd m&'h
do'&mentar" e0iden'e o( the 1e$&it$5 e((ort$ to (ree their 'oea/&e$+ Other$ add that Father
Ber/o/io per$ona" ed the$e+
Mr ?er)it$."5$ ae/ation a/ain$t Pope Fran'i$ i$ an e:ampe o( the -a" in -hi'h# &nder
the 4ir'hner /o0ernment$# hi$tor" ha$ )e'ome a poiti'a -eapon+ The /o0ernment ha$
promoted tria$ o( retired miitar" o((i'er$D &ni.e pre0io&$ tria$ in the 1,90$# -hi'h ended
in an amne$t" a(ter threat$ o( miitar" 'o&p$# the$e one$ ha0e not in'&ded an" /&erria
eader$+ Se0era $enior o((i'ia$ are (ormer Montonero$# a$ i$ Mr ?er)it$."+ In re(errin/ to
the pa$t# M$ Fern3nde! ne0er 'riti'i$e$ the /&erria$# -ho -ere re$pon$i)e (or $ome @00
death$ and -ho$e terrori$m pro0o.ed the (ormation o( a ri/ht<-in/ death $%&ad and the
1,6@ miitar" 'o&p+
Atho&/h no)od" do&)t$ that the di'tator$hip5$ 0ioen'e -a$ h&/e" di$proportionate to that
o( the /&erria$# %&ite ho- m&'h $o i$ di$p&ted+ An independent tr&th 'ommi$$ion (o&nd
that at ea$t 9#,00 had died or di$appeared at the di'tator$hip5$ hand$ 7man" o( them
inno'ent 'i0iian$ -ith no /&erria in.$8+ Eet o((i'ia$ o(ten $tate a$ (a't that 30#000 died+
>hie m&'h o( Ar/entina5$ *athoi' hierar'h" -a$ 'ompi'it -ith the di'tator$hip# part o(
the 'h&r'h5$ )a$e# identi(ied -ith i)eration theoo/"# Ftheori$ed and pra'ti$ed 0ioen'e in
the name o( aG.in/dom o( 2&$ti'e in -hi'h it -a$ e/itimate to $a'ri(i'e indi0id&a$H# $a"$
Mr Canatta+ The Montonero$ Fhad their o-n 'hapain$H# he add$+ Father Ber/o/io5$
'ommitment to the poor too. a di((erent (orm+ A(ter )e'omin/ ar'h)i$hop in 1,,9# he
e:panded a team o( F$hant"to-n prie$t$H (rom ten to 23 and made re/&ar 0i$it$ to their
pari$he$# -here 0ioen'e# dr&/ addi'tion and dome$ti' a)&$e are 'ommon+
The pope i$ &ni.e" to inter0ene in hi$ 'o&ntr"5$ poiti'$+ Ne0erthee$$# an opinion po
(o&nd that aro&nd ha( o( re$pondent$ )eie0ed that hi$ ee'tion -o&d h&rt the /o0ernment+
It -i in'rea$e the 'o&t o( Ar/entina5$ )i$hop$# man" o( -hom are 'riti'$ o( M$
Fern3nde!+ Perhap$ re'o/ni$in/ thi$# her $&pporter$ ha0e a)r&pt" 'han/ed their t&ne+
Ha0in/ (ir$t 2eered at re(eren'e$ to the papa ee'tion# mem)er$ o( =a *ampora# a /ro&p
(o&nded )" the pre$ident5$ $on -hi'h identi(ie$ -ith the Montonero$# hed a 'ee)ration in
?ia 21<2I# a $hant"to-n# to mar. Fran'i$5$ ina&/&ration+ That oo.ed i.e re'o/nition o( a
hi/her po-er+