Buenos Aires: For over a decade, Argentines have awaited a homecoming that seems increasingly unlikely—Pope Francis’ return to the land he left in 2013 upon ascending to the papacy. Now, as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia, his fragile health raises doubts over whether he will ever set foot in Argentina again.
Francis, who has been hospitalized in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for two weeks due to a severe lung infection, is enduring the longest hospital stay of his papacy. His condition underscores the growing frailty that has marked his later years.
Despite embarking on over 45 international journeys—making historic visits as the first pope to travel to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Bahrain, and Mongolia—he has never returned to his birthplace.
A Deliberate Absence
“One of the great curiosities of his papacy was the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Francis never visited his native country,” said Jimmy Burns, author of Francis, Pope of Good Promise (2015).
Burns believes that Argentina’s deep political divisions played a role in this absence. “Any visit would try and be exploited by one side or the other, and he would unwittingly fuel those divisions,” he explained.
Early in his papacy, many in Argentina expected Francis to return, especially after his visit to Brazil. Speculation resurfaced last year, but once again, the anticipated trip never materialized.
Guillermo Marco, a former spokesman for the pope during his tenure as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, lamented this as a missed opportunity for the nation. Describing Francis as having a “tango soul”—a nod to the music and dance deeply rooted in Buenos Aires—Marco reflected on the pontiff’s personal longing.
“He would have liked to [visit] if he could have made a simple trip, let’s say, where he came to visit the people he loves and, I don’t know, celebrate a mass for the people,” Marco said. “But he is fully aware there is a whole network of supporters and detractors who are fighting over him.”
In September, Francis acknowledged his desire to visit Argentina, telling journalists, “They are my people,” but added that “various matters had to be resolved first.”
Amid renewed concerns about the pope’s health, Maximo Jurcinovic, a spokesman for Argentina’s bishops’ conference, stated that the Church is focusing its prayers on Francis’ recovery rather than speculating about potential visits.
‘He is very Argentine’: Pope Francis has not visited his home country since he became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013. Some say it is due to the polarized political situation there https://t.co/aX99XQ8HjF pic.twitter.com/JNcYgFTgEu
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 3, 2025
The Weight of Time and Responsibility
Marco, who maintains close ties with Francis, noted the toll that age and the demands of leadership have taken on him. “He is 88 years old, and then you add to those 88 years the worries and pace of life that he tries to lead,” he said.
“It’s like he has a willpower, a spiritual strength that God gives him that makes his body do things, but his body is already telling him: ‘I can’t.’ That’s a bit what happened to him now.”
A Divided Perspective
During Francis’ papacy—the first led by a Latin American pontiff—Argentina has faced ongoing economic instability and political turbulence. Current President Javier Milei, who once denounced Francis as “the devil’s representative on Earth,” has since softened his stance after assuming office.
Francis’ prolonged absence remains a topic of debate. Some believe he should have visited regardless of Argentina’s polarized political climate.
“The chorus is divided. There are those who say that he should have come anyway because it would have helped close the political rift a little,” said Sergio Rubin, an Argentine journalist and co-author of The Jesuit, a biography of Francis.
Rogelio Pfirter, Argentina’s ambassador to the Vatican from 2016 to 2019 and a former student of Bergoglio at a Jesuit school, emphasized that the pope’s mission has always been broader than national concerns.
Also Read | White House Considers Easing Russia Sanctions Amid Diplomatic Talks
“I have no doubt that everything Argentine and the homeland itself is something that has a special place in his head and in his heart,” Pfirter told Reuters. However, he highlighted what he considers one of Francis’ defining legacies: “making a papacy for everyone.”
“From the pope’s perspective, it has probably been much more important to travel to the Pacific, travel to Africa, travel to some other Latin American countries than to visit regions where the Church already has a strong position,” Pfirter added.
A Lingering Yearning
Despite his global influence, many Argentines still long to welcome Francis back to the streets where he once walked as Jorge Bergoglio, the son of Italian immigrants born in Buenos Aires in 1936.
“That the pope has not come until now hurts me, it hurts me a little,” said Claudia Nudel, attending a recent mass in Buenos Aires to pray for the pope’s recovery.
Silvia Leda, 70, who was also present at the mass, expressed mixed emotions. “I would have liked him to come, but I think the most important thing is what he can do for the world.”
With Francis’ health concerns mounting, the dream of his homecoming seems to be fading, leaving Argentina with both admiration for its most famous spiritual leader and the sorrow of a long-awaited return that may never come.
