Xavier Miley and Pope Francis met for more than an hour in the Vatican: they talked about the economic crisis

,Special Envoy to Rome, Italy, xavier miley His long-awaited meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican was finally over. The President spent 70 minutes with the Pontiff in a private meeting. Then, The Secretary General and the President’s sister entered, Kareena Miley, And finally the ministers who were part of the delegation included: Guillermo Francos (Inside), Diana Mondino (Foreign Relations) and sandra pettovello (Human Capital).

Miley and Francisco talked about the political and economic situation in Argentina. It was a frank conversation.Where different ideological ideas came together, but always in the same sense: solution to the crisisInclude the poorest and accelerate productive growth.

“We don’t even drink a glass of water.”The President revealed this to the Special Envoy when he asked him about the conference he held with the Holy Father.

xavier miley He reached the Holy See at 8:58 local time (4:58 in Argentina). It was received in Apostolic Palace Passing by Swiss guard and then climbing gray granite stairs they reached the Vatican Library. Francisco smiled at him when he arrived, the official delegation stopped outside, and for the first time the President and the Supreme Pope were left alone to engage. A conversation that went further than expected.

Despite his strong words for the supreme authority of the Holy See, the President walked away today with a small record: he was the first head of state who it was that long In his first meeting with the Pontiff.

Those who remember the Vatican remember it Francisco devoted only 22 minutes to his first meeting with Mauricio Macri in 2016. Along with Alberto Fernandez, he spent 44 minutes in 2020. He spent less than an hour with Christina Kirchner in 2013 when the former president traveled to her inauguration, but they were together 6 times; There was even lunch which lasted for about two hours.,

Official photos of the meeting released by the Vatican through international agencies include Both the leaders are seen smiling, They already had a cordial meeting during Mama Antula’s canonization ceremony yesterday, when the church leader accepted an out-of-protocol hug from Argentina’s president at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The exchange of gifts is a tradition whenever the Pontiff holds an audience. As the spokesman Manuel Adorni reported, Miley gave the Pope a folder with a copy of Chancellor José María Gutiérrez’s handwritten letter to Juan Bautista Alberdi, recognizing him as representative in Europe (May 1854); A painting with the commemorative postcard of Mama Antula that was distributed by Argentina Post on the occasion of her beatification (August 2017) and dulce de leche alfajores and lemon cookies.

In addition, he brought him a personal gift: the books of Jesús Huerta de Soto.Spanish economist who frequently quotes in his speeches and who mentioned December 10 after assuming the presidency, to refer to poverty, “As the great Jesus Huerta de Soto says, anti-poverty plans create more poverty, the only way out of poverty is more freedom,” the head of state said before Congress.

The leader of the Catholic Church, for his part, presented him with a bronze medal inspired by the Baldachin of St. Peter, a volume of papal documents and this year’s message of peace.

At about 6:20 in Argentina, after the protocol greetings and the necessary photographs, the official delegation began a second meeting inside the Vatican, this time with Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, which lasted about fifty minutes (to see photos, After taking a guided tour of the palace, Miley and her sister left the Vatican at 7:40 am (11:40 am in Rome). He plans to share coffee together sergio mattarellaItalian President.

in conversation with infobaeArgentina’s head of state said that during talks the Pope “He was satisfied with the economic program and its social supportThe government had implemented it from December 10 last year.

The Vatican, for its part, explained how the meeting took place: “During cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction was expressed at the good relations between the Holy See and the Argentine Republic and the desire to further strengthen them. next, They stopped at the new government’s program to face the economic crisis And a number of international issues were addressed, particularly current conflicts and the commitment to peace among nations.”

After the meeting ended Worship Secretary Francisco Sanchez assured: “We met with the Pope very cordially and there was a lot of sympathy between us., And he analyzed: “The Pope devoted more than an hour to the audience, to which he does not usually devote so much time.”

The officer gave this assurance Several cardinals said they were surprised by the good harmony shown by Francisco and Miley., He admitted, “They remembered antecedents that weren’t there, that’s why it caught everyone’s attention.”

And he concluded: “Everything was developed well above standards and we are very satisfied.”