Pope Francis is very popular around the world, but there are growing signs that his popularity is dwindling in his own country, Argentina. And there are good reasons for it.
When former archbishop of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, was chosen pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, there were massive celebrations in Argentina. He was the first Latin American pope, and a respected priest in Argentina, where he was known to be at odds with the corrupt populist government of former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Once in the Vatican, Francis’ frequent calls to Argentine priests, journalists and childhood friends — often to chat about local events, or to comment about the Sunday games of San Lorenzo, his favourite soccer club — often made their way to the front pages of Argentine newspapers. He was the most popular figure in Argentina, surpassing even the country’s soccer superstars.
But lately, growing numbers of Argentines — especially those supporting Macri — are having second thoughts about their pope.
