Pope Francis spoke with Argentine President Javier Milei despite a rocky start to their relationship during what the Vatican called a "cordial" meeting.
The libertarian president previously called the religious leader an "imbecile" and accused him of violating the Ten Commandments. Their first meeting was held on Monday amid rumors that the Argentine pope might finally go home for a visit later this year.
The Vatican said that the meeting between the two men lasted for roughly one hour and 10 minutes, which is an unusually long talk by the religious leader's standards. This was particularly true because no translator was needed for the two to talk properly.
A video was also released that showed the pope smiling and briefly grabbing Milei's arm for support as they walked to his desk at the start of their meeting.
The Argentine president gave the pope some of his favorite Argentine dulce de leche alfajor cookies and lemon biscuits while Pope Francis presented the president with the documents of his papacy and a medallion, as per the Associated Press.
In a statement during an interview on Monday, President Milei said that one of the things that he has come to understand is that Pope Francis is the Argentine who is "the most important person in the country."
The day before the meeting, a warm tone was set when the Argentine president embraced the pope with a bear hug at the end of a Mass to declare Argentina's first female saint. Milei's office then posted photographs of the embrace on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption, "May God bless Argentines and may the forces of heaven accompany us."
Despite the recently warm relationship between Milei and the pope, the situation between them has not always been friendly. The Argentine president also previously called Francis "the representative of malignance on Earth."
The Vatican said that the discussions between Milei and the pope addressed international issues, including ongoing conflicts and the commitment to peace among nations. In the years preceding his election as president in November last year, Milei often verbally attacked Pope Francis, according to the New York Times.
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Speaking at a Cordial Meeting
In his writings and speeches, Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out against free market economies for generating income inequalities that affect the most vulnerable people. In 2022, Milei also said that the religious leader "always stands on the side of evil" because he supported taxation.
On the other hand, the pope appeared to be not concerned about the attacks against him, brushing off criticism as electoral hyperbole. During an interview in December last year, the pope said that Milei's comments were made "in jest."
On Monday, the Argentine president said that he described himself as a Catholic who practices Judaism "a bit." His entourage in Rome and Israel included an orthodox Jewish Rabbi who is his spiritual adviser and nominee for Argentina's ambassador to Israel.
The two men's meeting came as Argentina is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation skyrocketing past 200%. Furthermore, the newly installed president is struggling following the parliamentary rejection of a major reform package, said Reuters.
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