In April, de Kirchner addressed an audience about Argentina’s claims to the Falklands, saying, as quoted in the Guardian, “We will see the islands form part of our territory again”.
The pope swiftly quashed the attempt to link him to the cause after his spokesman said the small poster was handed over during a weekly public gathering when lots of people give him things and he had no idea what the item was.
It showed Francis holding a sign linked to a campaign marking the 50th anniversary for the United Nation resolution calling for the two countries to hold talks over their dispute. “The UK government is isolated in its refusal to engage in dialogue and its failure to honour its obligations under global law to resolve the sovereignty dispute through peaceful and diplomatic means”.
The Vatican today played down the significance of Pope Francis agreeing to pose for a picture with a placard calling for Britain-Argentina talks over the disputed Falkland Islands.
A senior Vatican official told the BBC that Pope Francis “did not know and did not realise what was written on it”. In a 2013 referendum, the vast majority of Falkland residents voted to remain a British territory.
Hoyo, however, feels that the message was clear, as he told an Argentine newspaper that “when he (the Pope) passed by, I explained what this was about and he kindly took the placard and got the picture taken”.
While the pope has not discussed the Falklands dispute since his appointment in March 2013, he was known to speak in emotional and sometimes nationalistic terms about the islands when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.
In the four minutes it took Pope Francis to walk through the crowd at his most recent audience, he was offered the following: seven babies (all safely returned), five flags, three shirts, one painting, one boy scout neckerchief, one magazine, and one stuffed toy (a rabbit). “He could have chosen not to do it, but he did”.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez also tweeted a few of the photos to her almost 4 million followers with the hashtag #MalvinasArgentinas, referring to the islands’ Spanish name.