Pope receives president of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at the first hearing to a head of state

Receive on Monday the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, at the first hearing to a head of state. The Vatican has considered the meeting as a "courtesy and affection" to the Head of State and the Argentine people. "This is a courtesy, attention to Argentina and its president," said Efe Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, who has stated that it is "natural" if the president comes from Argentina, the country of the pope, the recipient in "different" from other delegations attending the Mass beginning of his pontificate, on March 19. The spokesman stressed that it is not a formal visit or State, but a courtesy. Francisco will host Cristina Fernandez at 12.50 (11.50 GMT) and have lunch with her at the residence of Santa Marta, which house the cardinals during the conclave and which still houses the pope these days as it has not yet taken possession of their rooms in the Apostolic Palace. Strained relations between the two The meeting comes after the relationship between the archbishop of Buenos Aires and Kirchner was quite tense in recent years, especially after the adoption of the laws on abortion and gay marriage. The then President Nestor Kirchner, who died in October 2010, broke with tradition coming since 1810 and decided not to attend the Te Deum Mass each held May 25 at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires by the May Revolution, preferring other parts of the country. The last private meeting between Kirchner and Bergoglio took place in 2010. Cristina Fernandez also attend Mass on Tuesday to start the pontificate, is expected to attend the 150 country delegations. Pope Francisco plans to welcome the representatives of each country at the end of the Mass at the Altar of the Confession inside St. Peter's Basilica.

• 2013-03-18T16:03:38+00:00
• Duration: 01:14

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