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New Pope Francis I and the Irish-Argentine community have close ties

Despite their origin Irish Argentines shocked and over-joyed by election of new pope

GUILLERMO MACLOUGHLIN,

Editor of “The Southern Cross”, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Published Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 7:34 AM

Updated Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 7:34 AM

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Irish President Michael D Higgins meets Pope Francis during his inauguration at the Vatican

Photo by Catholic TV

Irish Argentines, as all the Argentineans – despite their origin - were first shocked and immediately received with great joy the news of the election on the new Pope, Francis I, who was up to then George Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Head of the Argentinean Catholics.

Some of us thought that the new Pope could be of Irish extraction, as two Irish American Cardinals were among the candidates, and we were going to be proud of that. Nonetheless, the first Latin American Pope is something very special for all of us.

Regarding Cardinal Bergoglio, we can recall his willingness to attend any celebration in his dioceses and that among his hierarchy he had Irish descendants, one of them was Mons. José Luis Mollaghan -at present Archbishop of Rosario, Argentina- who might soon replace Bergoglio as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Monsignor Mollaghan speaking about of the election, mentioned that “he is an ordinary man, plenty of faith, who likes to be in contact with the people”.

The fact that the new Pope is the first Jesuit to reach Saint Peter’s place also reminded the Irish-Argentines that many Irish people join that order and that many of them came to Latin America as missionaries. In the XVIth. century Father Thomas Fields, S.J., from Limerick, was the first Jesuit to live in the territory that is now Argentina. He was one of the very first Irish to settle in this part of the world.

Rev. Guillermo Furlong, S. J. (1899-1974), a well known Irish Argentinean Jesuit priest and historian, who had a close relationship with Bergoglio, wrote some time before his death that “he had all the conditions to be a Good Bishop”, as it has been pointed out by Roberto Elissalde, an Argentine historian who is also a regular contributor to the “The Southern Cross”, the oldest Irish newspaper printed outside Ireland (founded 1875). Through its pages there are published many of Bergoglio’s opinions.

On St. Patrick’s Day at Mass, we all prayed for the intentions of the new Pope, and for his forthcoming visit to Argentina. It is a great day for Argentina!

Buenos Aires, March 17th., 2013.

See more: Irish Roots , Irish History , Vatican , Irish Catholic Church , Irish Catholic Priest

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Scouse Tony | Mar 22, 2013, 03:51 AM EDT

Seanmor which homeland would that be the one you lived most of your life in, the one you were born in or Ireland.

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Seanmor | Mar 21, 2013, 07:53 PM EDT

I most strongly disagree with Curitiba when he states: "Countries are completely artifician constructs". My dear homeland is one of the most natural creations in the globe because nature - the ocean and the seas - clearly define its borders. However, within Ireland's shores there is a very artificial creation, namely the 'Ulster' state which was carved out of an Ireland that had been ruled for 7 centuried by monarchs and government in London asa single political entity. Sadly, in recent years the ARTIFICIAL political structure is regarded as a natural, integral and permanent of G.B.

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Scouse Tony | Mar 21, 2013, 12:32 AM EDT

curtisjohnson I take it you now understand that as the Falkland Island community pre dates Argentina's existence then on what grounds do the Argentine colonists claims have legitimacy. I see your still hand waving away your own countries beneficent history,as for phoney Tony really how old are you, still at least you managed a couple of sentences without using your favourite trope.

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curtisjohnson | Mar 20, 2013, 09:59 PM EDT

Yeah - history really supports the benevolent intentions of the british when the residents were not even extended citizenship until the 1980s and at that point for self serving reasons. You have some really cogent points there, phony tony.

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Scouse Tony | Mar 20, 2013, 08:06 PM EDT

Curtisjohnson I see you still haven't bothered to read up on the history of the Falkland Islands yet, why not give it a go and contrast it with something closer to home like Hawaii.

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Realist | Mar 20, 2013, 06:54 PM EDT

WoundedKnee: I think you'll find that after the fourth and final count in the 2011 Presidential Election of the Irish Republic, Michael Higgins did, indeed, get over 1 million votes. As for the Falkland Islands, the Treaty of Utrecht only promised to restore the territories in the Americas held prior to the War of the Spanish Succession. The Falkland Islands were not held at the time, and were not mentioned in the treaty. Have you read it? "Former colonies inherit all the possessions of their colonists"? Lol....really? Some bloke down the pub tell you that? 99.8% in favour of remaining British via their free right of self determination. A border poll in Northern Ireland? Sure....another U.K. yes vote....just like Scotland will be next year. That's the reality when you finally wake up from your Irish Central inspired anti-British wet dream....lol.

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WoundedKnee | Mar 20, 2013, 04:46 PM EDT

It's worth remembering that the residents of the Malvinas were DENIED British citizenship for centuries. They only became eligible to be British citizens after the 1982 War!

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WoundedKnee | Mar 20, 2013, 04:38 PM EDT

Gordon Duggan: I suspected you were a liar, so I looked up the vote that Higgins received. It was 700k, not the million you claim. AS to the Malvinas, Spain was ceded the islands under the Treaty of Utrecht. Former colonies inherit all the possessions of their colonists. Hence Las Malvinas Son Argentinas. But if the British are so fond of referendums, let's have a referendum in Crossmaglen as to whether Crossmaglen is Irish or British.

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Curitiba | Mar 20, 2013, 04:33 PM EDT

Seanmor: Well, why wouldn't I include you? Your ancestors came Ireland, didn't they? That's what matters isn't it? Not what citizenship you hold. You can change your citizenship like you change your socks, if you meet the criteria of whatever country you want to emigrate to. Is that famous French actor any less French because he acquired Russian citizenship? Can you change your ethnic group just because you fancy it? Ancestry is what matters, not citizenship or place of birth. Countries are completely artificial constructs. They appear and disappear all the time. Some are more durable than others, which give them the illusion of permanency. By the way, I was born in London, but so what. It doesn't mean I have to wear my pearly suit or do the Lambeth walk for the rest of my life does it?

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Seanmor | Mar 20, 2013, 05:37 AM EDT

I do NOT know what Curitiba means when he says, "We are all Irish, the World Irish". As a London-born U.S. citizen who regards ALL of Ireland (an tîr uile agus gach roinn di) as my homeland, Does Curi include me among his "World Itish"? If I were living in either of the 2 jurisdictions within the Irish shores, I would never support Partitionist politcians at either side of the artificial border. Rud éigin eile: Tá nîos mo ná cúpla focal Gaeilge agam - it than language acceptable to Curbi? If so, he is of a different opinion that most of the T.D.s and prelates in the "independent" Irish state.

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cillowen | Mar 19, 2013, 11:57 PM EDT

Devouring Germanic tribes yielded an England in 864 are still bent on their gobbling. By the way the UKer's Union Jack does not have a symbol of St David for Wales - they as a people are buried within England's St. George made up thingie. The Welsh are the only people with a saint born of one of their own St David. St Patrick was taken from Severn Valley Wales as a slave one who magically fell in love with the land that took him. Greater love had no man such as he, who came back to teach the Irish. The Scots and English took some saints names from middle east and claimed them. Prior to Reformation the Scots had Iona's famed St Columba of Ireland as their close at home saint before hating set in. Who knew?

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curtisjohnson | Mar 19, 2013, 08:21 PM EDT

"Britain had to liberate them" - yeah - it had nothing to do with the oil and gas reserves or british grandiosity - it's all about britain wanting to "liberate" a group of squatters half way around the world. Go it.

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Gordan Duggan | Mar 19, 2013, 06:02 PM EDT

Do not refer to President Higgins as a fairy or a leproachaun - neither exist! You can't argue with over a million votes, the largest in Irish Presidential history. He is an extremely popular and clever man. Leave the people of the Falklands alone, they voted to stay with Britain. Argentine invaded the Falklands, Britain had to liberate them with the approval of the U.N. Your IRA thinking shows Irishfree1916, living in the past again.

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Curitiba | Mar 19, 2013, 05:11 PM EDT

Every five years or so there should be a World Irish Festival, held in rotation in the different countries where large Irish communities are to be found. It should be an opportunity for the disparate communities of the UK, USA, Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and anywhere else I have forgotten that has a large Irish community. Until Irish Central, Irish communities lived in almost total ignorance of each other. I have met Irish-Americans on a visit there (many years ago) that could not believe that there was an Irish community in Britain. For our part, America was somewhere a great uncle might have disappeared off to generations ago and we were vaguely aware that that there was such a thing as Irish Americans, although few of us had actually met any. As for Argentina, well 99% of the Irish in Britain would not have heard of Irish Argentinians and I only became aware there was an Irish community there a decade ago. Goodness only knows what they think of us, probably think that we are indistinguishable from our generous hosts, the British, in that we are a bunch of flag-waving, Falklands obsessed colonialists. That is why I think an event similar to the Gathering should be held every 5 years-so that we can meet each other and learn about each other and discover that no matter what accent or language we speak with, we are all leaves on the branches of the same tree, the Irish Tree. We are all Irish, the World Irish.

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pilib04 | Mar 19, 2013, 01:21 PM EDT

irishfree1916, Bergoglio addressed the issue of freedom for Islas Malvinas while Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He will probably be more diplomatic now that he is Pope.

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