In Argentina, debates over Pope Francis' legacy lead to one question: Why didn’t he return?

BUENOS AIRES — Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, never set foot in his homeland after becoming Pope Francis in 2013.

That left many of the faithful in Argentina feeling puzzled and snubbed by the world’s first Latin American pope. The question of why he never returned quickly dominated airwaves and headlines on Tuesday in Buenos Aires.

Francis, who died Monday, said little about his decision to steer clear of Argentina. But Vatican insiders and interlocutors said the pontiff wanted to avoid getting swept up in the polarizing politics that characterized his country.

“It’s sad, because we should have been proud to have an Argentine pope,” said Ardina Aragon, 94, a longtime friend and neighbor from the middle-class neighborhood of Flores, where Francis was born in 1936. “I think there were political factors that influenced him.”

Francis, a devotee of soccer, tango and other signature aspects of Argentine culture, was known to have tense relationships with some of his country’s leaders. His ideological clash with ...
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