His Silence Echoes Louder in Death

Pope Francis died yesterday in Rome. But the mourning began in Buenos Aires before the Vatican moved. At the Metropolitan Cathedral, doors opened before dawn. In Flores, his old parish of San José gathered silently. The Buenos Aires Obelisk lit up in papal white and gold. Projected on its base: the phrase he asked the world in 2013: “Pray for me.” Now, at last, his country does.He challenged them all in life. Now, they mourn him in silence.

President Javier Milei, who once called Pope Francis “a communist” and compared him to the devil, wrote: “Despite differences that today seem minor, having known him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honor,” and declared seven days of national mourning.

Shared grief

Other former presidents and past rivals followed. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner recalled their first meeting: “He was the face of a more human Church… our sorrow is infinite.” Mauricio Macri posted a photo and wrote: “He was a good shepherd… meeting him was an incomparable honor.” Alberto Fernández described him as “the greatest moral leader of humanity.”

The pope who once stood apart from Argentinian politics had now become their shared grief.When he was elected pontiff in 2013, his national approval stood at 91%. By 2024, it had dropped to 64%. There was a reason: Francis, the Argentinian Pope, never returned to Argentina during his twelve years in Rome.

He visited Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, Paraguay, Ecuador, countries with far less personal connection, but never his own, not even once. He explained his ever-delayed visit in different ways: to avoid politicisation, to wait for the right time. But over the years, his absence became ache.  And now, few recall the reasons, only the silence. “Te fuiste sin volver.” He left, and never came back. Until now, not in flesh, but in grief.

The Goodbye of the Argentina He Knew

In Córdoba and La Plata, in stadiums and villas, Masses are celebrated in his memory. The Argentine Olympic Committee called him “an inspiration of unity and hope.” Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro, the team he supported as a loyal fan, turned its headquarters into a shrine.

Football superstar Lionel Messi, who rarely speaks in grief, posted: “A different kind of Pope. Close. Argentine. Thank you for making the world a better place. We will miss you.” The photo he shared was from their 2013 meeting he called unforgettable. In La Cárcova, a girl held a sign: “Thank you, Father Jorge.” And in Villa 21-24, Father Lorenzo “Toto” De Vedia lit candles with parishioners remarking: “We are sad, but convinced that today we have an ally in heaven. We know he’ll keep working from heaven.”

Francis had walked these streets as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He baptized addicts’ children, rode the bus every day, and shared mate with his flock. He lived what he preached. #GraciasFrancisco now trends nationwide with memories: a letter, a smile, a prison blessing. The faith he showed visiting the slums now echoes far beyond Catholic walls.

A Farewell Across Faiths

Just as his death was met with unity from politicians and heartfelt across the nation, it was also replied with prayers from every creed. Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Francis’s longtime friend and coauthor of On Heaven and Earth, said: “We lost a friend and a brother of the soul.” They had studied scripture together weekly in Buenos Aires, long before Rome ever called. Omar Abboud, Muslim leader and another interfaith ally, called him “a true bridge-builder”, and the Islamic Center of Argentina praised him as “a man of peace.”

The Argentine Evangelical Alliance (ACIERA) gave thanks for “his witness of love and service”, while a pastor in Córdoba that knew him said: “He wasn’t our Pope. But he was our conscience.” Outside his old parish in Flores, the prayer to his memory was shared by all, regardless of faith.

A faithful holds a picture of Pope Francis during a Mass at Buenos Aires‘ Metropolitan Cathedral, after his death was announced by the Vatican, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: REUTERS/Matias Baglietto A woman reacts next to a picture of Pope Francis placed outside the Virgen de Caacupe chapel, after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican, in Buenos Aires. Photo: REUTERS/Matias Baglietto A man holds a picture of Pope Francis inside Buenos Aires‘ Metropolitan Cathedral, after the death of pontiff was announced by the Vatican, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian A nun holds a flower outside the Buenos Aires‘ Metropolitan Cathedral, following the death of Pope Francis, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: REUTERS/Martin Cossarini

A Last Vigil at Home

There is no funeral yet, for the Vatican prepares a state one for their deceased head of state, but Argentina is already at vigil for their Pope. Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva stood at the Cathedral, reminding in his farewell homily that Francis was “the father of the poor. The father of mercy. He leaves us an enormous legacy.” He called it “a day of sorrow and of hope.”

Outside, someone held up a cardboard sign with the words “Voliviste igual”. You came back anyway. He is not yet buried, but in his home country, candles to his soul are already lit. Pope Francis is dead, but Father Jorge Bergoglio is unmistakably back home. In memory and in spirit.

Statement

Pope Francis died on Monday in Rome. The Vatican has yet to announce funeral arrangements. His body remains in the Apostolic Palace. In Argentina, vigils continue in churches, plazas, and informal shrines. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who rose from Buenos Aires to the papacy in 2013, never returned to his home country as pope. His absence, once political, is now permanent. From politicians and faith leaders to sportsmen and ordinary citizens, tributes reflect a nation balancing reverence with unresolved distance. The mourning is real: Argentina cannot bury him, but it remembers him. And for now, that is enough for his flock back home.