On March 4, 2025, as the world watches with bated breath, Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, remains in a delicate state of health.
At 88 years old, Pope Francis has been battling double pneumonia, a severe respiratory condition that has kept him hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for over two weeks—the longest hospital stay of his papacy.
This health crisis for Pope Francis has reignited discussions about his legacy, his global impact, and, notably, his conspicuous absence from his homeland of Argentina since assuming the papacy in 2013.
As Argentines pray for Pope Francis’s recovery, the prospect of the beloved pontiff returning home grows increasingly uncertain.
This blog article delves into the recent events surrounding Pope Francis’s health, provides updates on his hospitalization, and explores the broader context of his remarkable tenure as pope, with a particular focus on why he has never returned to Argentina.
A Frail Pontiff: The Latest on Pope Francis’s Health
Pope Francis’s current hospitalization began on February 14, 2025, when he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital after struggling with breathing difficulties for several days.
What initially appeared to be a severe respiratory infection quickly escalated into a diagnosis of double pneumonia—a serious condition that inflames and scars both lungs, making breathing a laborious task.
The Vatican has described the infection as “complex” and “polymicrobial,” meaning it is caused by multiple microorganisms, further complicating treatment.
As of March 4, 2025, Pope Francis’s condition has shown signs of stabilization, though he is far from out of danger.
According to Reuters, Pope Francis experienced two respiratory crises on Monday, March 3, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation to assist his breathing.
By Tuesday, March 4, the Vatican reported that he no longer needed this ventilation and had returned to receiving oxygen via a nasal tube.
His prognosis remains “guarded,” a medical term indicating that while he is stable, the risk of deterioration persists.
Despite his frail state, Pope Francis remains alert, oriented, and cooperative, continuing to lead the Vatican from his hospital bed by approving staff appointments and signing official messages—each document marked with a note indicating it was sent “from Gemelli Hospital.”
The pope’s medical history adds context to his current struggles.
As a young adult, Pope Francis suffered from pleurisy, an inflammation of the lung lining, which led to the removal of part of one lung.
This predisposes Pope Francis to respiratory infections, and in recent years, he has faced multiple bouts of ill health, including influenza and bronchitis.
At 88, his age and relentless work ethic—he is known to push himself to exhaustion—further exacerbate his fragility.
Guillermo Marco, a former spokesman for the pope during his time as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, spoke to Reuters about his condition in late January 2025, noting,
“He is 88 years old and then you add to those 88 years the worries and pace of life that he tries to lead. It’s like he has a willpower, a spiritual strength that God gives him that makes his body do things, but his body is already telling him: ‘I can’t.’”
The Vatican has not provided a timeline for his release, and his public engagements, including the annual Ash Wednesday service on March 5, have been delegated to senior officials.
Meanwhile, Catholics worldwide, including in Argentina, hold Masses and prayer services for his recovery, their hopes tempered by the reality of his precarious health.
A Papacy of Global Reach—But Not Argentina
Since his election on March 13, 2013, Pope Francis has redefined the papacy with his humility, inclusivity, and commitment to the marginalized.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrants in Buenos Aires, he rose from a modest upbringing to become the Archbishop of Buenos Aires before ascending to the papacy.
Over the past 12 years, he has embarked on more than 45 international trips, breaking new ground with historic visits to nations like Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Bahrain, and Mongolia—journeys that no pope had undertaken before him.
Yet, strikingly, he has never returned to Argentina, a fact that puzzles and pains many of his compatriots.
Jimmy Burns, author of the 2015 biography Francis, Pope of Good Promise, told Reuters,
“One of the great curiosities of his papacy was the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Francis never visited his native country.”
Previous popes, such as John Paul II and Benedict XVI, made pilgrimages to their homelands, but Francis has remained absent from Argentina despite visiting other Latin American nations like Brazil early in his tenure.
Expectations of a homecoming surged shortly after his election and again in 2024, but both opportunities passed without a visit.
Why has Francis stayed away? Several factors emerge from interviews and analyses.
Guillermo Marco, who maintains a close relationship with the pope, suggested to Reuters that Francis’s deep connection to Argentina—symbolized by his “tango soul,” a nod to the dance born in Buenos Aires’s back streets—makes a visit emotionally complex.
“He would have liked to [come] if he could have made a simple trip, let’s say, where he came to visit the people he loves and, I don’t know, celebrate a mass for the people,” Marco said.
However, he added that Francis is “fully aware there is a whole network of supporters and detractors who are fighting over him,” hinting at the political minefield awaiting him in Argentina.
Argentina’s Political and Economic Turmoil: A Barrier to Return?
Argentina’s volatile political and economic landscape may offer clues to Francis’s absence.
During his papacy, the country has grappled with repeated economic crises, soaring inflation (reaching 99% in 2023), and poverty rates nearing 40%.
The current government, led by President Javier Milei, has implemented harsh austerity measures to stabilize the economy, a move that has deepened divisions.
Milei, a polarizing figure, once called Francis “the devil’s representative on Earth” during his campaign, though he has since softened his stance after taking office in 2023.
Francis’s progressive stances—on social justice, inclusivity, and criticism of unfettered capitalism—align him closely with Peronism, a political movement rooted in the legacy of Juan Domingo Perón that emphasizes social equity.
Some in Argentina claim him as a Peronist, a label that could embroil him in the nation’s fractious politics.
A visit risks being exploited by both the ruling Peronist coalition and the conservative opposition, particularly with elections looming later in 2025.
Marco noted, “Who does he see, who doesn’t he see, who does he receive? … Everything is going to be a problem. And I don’t know if he is ready to withstand such pressure.”
Rogelio Pfirter, a former Argentine ambassador to the Vatican and a student of Bergoglio’s at a Jesuit school, offered a different perspective to Reuters.
He argued that Francis’s priority has been “making a papacy for everyone,” focusing on regions where the Church’s presence is less entrenched, such as Africa and the Pacific, rather than Argentina, where Catholicism already holds a strong foothold.
“I have no doubt that everything Argentine and the homeland itself is something that has a special place in his head and in his heart,” Pfirter said, yet global outreach has taken precedence.
The Argentine Faithful: Longing for a Homecoming
For many Argentines, Francis’s absence stings. Claudia Nudel, speaking at a recent Mass in Buenos Aires to pray for his recovery, told Reuters, “That the pope has not come until now hurts me, it hurts me a little.”
Silvia Leda, a 70-year-old attendee at the same Mass, expressed a bittersweet sentiment: “I would have liked him to come, but I think the most important thing is what he can do for the world.”
These voices reflect a deep affection for the man they still remember as Bergoglio, the humble cardinal who rode public transport and ministered to the poor in Buenos Aires’s shantytowns.
In the Villa 21-24 shantytown, where Francis was known as the “Papa villero” (Pope of the villas) for his closeness to the marginalized, residents like Justina Ayala, 72, have long held onto hope.
In 2023, she recalled to Reuters his promise upon leaving for the Vatican: “Don’t worry, I’m going to come back right away.”
That promise remains unfulfilled, and with his health now faltering, it may never be.
A Legacy in Question: Will He Return?
As Pope Francis fights double pneumonia from his hospital bed, speculation about his future intensifies.
Some cardinals have openly discussed the possibility of resignation, a path his predecessor Benedict XVI took in 2013.
Francis himself signed a letter of resignation shortly after his election, to be used only in the case of severe mental incapacitation, though church law requires such a decision to be made freely by the pontiff.
For now, his biographer Elisabetta Pique insists he has no plans to step down, telling Reuters,
“He doesn’t give in under pressure. The more pressure they put on him, the more likely he won’t give in.”
Whether he recovers fully or not, the question of a return to Argentina looms large.
Marco called it a “wasted opportunity,” a chance for Francis to reconnect with the people who shaped him.
Yet, his legacy—marked by a papacy that prioritizes the global periphery over personal nostalgia—may explain his choice.
As Maximo Jurcinovic, a spokesman for the Argentine bishops’ conference, told Reuters, the Church’s focus now is on praying for his health, not speculating on his travel plans.
Conclusion: A Tango Soul in Exile
Pope Francis’s story is one of contrasts: a man of immense spiritual strength tethered to a frail body, a global leader who has left an indelible mark on the world yet remains distant from his roots.
As of March 4, 2025, his health hangs in the balance, and with it, the faint hope of an Argentine homecoming.
Whether Pope Francis returns to celebrate a Mass for the people he loves or remains a figure of memory in his homeland, his “tango soul” continues to resonate—both in the streets of Buenos Aires and across the world he has tirelessly served.
For now, the faithful wait, pray, and reflect on a pontiff whose journey, like the tango itself, is one of passion, complexity, and unfulfilled longing.
Credit: Reuters
