(Reuters) -Argentine President Javier Milei is inviting Pope Francis to visit his home country, Milei’s spokesman said on Thursday, appearing to extend an olive branch after attacking the Catholic leader in recent years.
Milei is requesting Francis visit the country as “his presence and message will contribute to unifying the country and give us the collective strength necessary to preserve the peace, to work toward prosperity and improve our country,” presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said in a regular press conference.
Milei had called the pope everything from an “imbecile” to the devil’s man on earth, but softened his tone after being elected in November, calling him “His Holiness.”
Milei’s office said the two had spoken over the phone after Milei’s election, with the newly elected president expressing Argentina’s hope of hosting a Francis visit “very soon.”
Pope Francis, 87, has yet to visit Argentina since his election a decade ago. The religious leader said in a December interview a trip to his homeland was “pending,” though he has dealt with a number of health issues in recent years and now uses mobility aids such as a wheelchair or cane.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry and Lucila Sigal; Editing by Isabel Woodford)
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