[rovenstinez]

Isn;t Pope Francisco from Argentina. I wonder if he was influential in his political circles in his country.

[Mrs. Don-o]

My impression is that Pope Francis (born Jorge Bergoglio) wasn't all that into politics in Argentina. Before seminary, he was employed for awhile as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer. After he became a priest and (rather young) a Provincial (regional superior) of the Jesuits, there was a nasty civil war in the mid-70's (the "Dirty War") and he warned his Jesuit priests not to get involved.

There was a notorious incident where Bergoglio had told two priests who lived in a slum parish and reputedly were linked to leftist elements that they had to leave the parish for their own safety. They refused, and next thing you know they were kidnapped as rebels by the right-wing military, imprisoned and tortured. After the war (which they survived) they both blamed Bergoglio that they'd been arrested and he didn't speak out publicly for them.

Later one of them forgave him because Bergoglio said he'd been working quietly behind the scenes to get them released.

Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political opponent. I think it had to do with him favoring term limitations (opposed to limitless reelection by the Kirchners.)