Keep Falklands out of papacy

by Letters Editor · April 11, 2013

From Ron Pitchford, Middleburg

The whole Catholic world must rejoice in the election of Pope Francis to lead the 1,2 billion souls in his spiritual care.�The Holy Spirit has given us a leader well equipped to tackle the multitude of socio-political and religious issues facing the Church and hopefully find acceptable solutions.

Pope Francis greets Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in St. Peter’s Basilica after celebrating his inaugural Mass at the Vatican. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)

However worthy the adulation Pope Francis has received, I wish to raise one controversial statement that he made at a Sunday Angelus.

I concede that before his election as pope he was an Argentinian national. However, I submit that after his election he automatically becomes a citizen of the Vatican state, recognised by the United Nations.

His intemperate remarks supporting the Argentine position on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands cannot go unchallenged.

The further request by Argentina�s President Cristina Kirchner to publicly arrange a meeting with the British prime minister has certainly raised an issue that is definitely outside the pope�s domain.

From a British perspective the Falklands are not a problem, with 98% of its citizens wishing to stay under British control. The territory has been under British control since 1830, long before Argentina became a recognised country.

The pope must maintain a neutral stance on world issues except those relating to human rights and the dignity of people everywhere.

He will certainly have his hands pretty full in his efforts to re-evangelise Europe which today is almost totally secular.