Love these sentences and the turns of phrases in them: “They have an inside track into human striving and frailty, after all. As a result, some have a welcome edge of cynicism, leavened by irony and humor…”. Thanks for sharing that.
Depressing how omnipresent Karl Schmitt is these days. I hadn’t thought about the guy since graduate school and now he’s everywhere, just like Frederick Douglass was in the first term.
The ignorance in this country of how Argentina feels about us—and has for decades—is profound. Yes, that irony you mention is rich but i doubt Vance’s ever going to have the accolades El Papa is receiving.
I know you know Argentina well. In response to a comment from a close Argentine friend, I edited the app version of this post slightly. Another reason I was somewhat surprised Bergoglio had accepted my meeting request was that he was not exactly a fan of the USA and was probably reluctant to meet with an agent of global imperialism. How ironic that his final official encounter with an outsider was with our very own VP. As you may know, Pope Francis had strong views of our current administration.
Thanks Alexis! I hadn't thought about the military regime and disappearances in Argentina in a very long time. Pope Francis was one of the good ones. Not many are willing to stand up for the immigrants and lost souls who are wandering our earth.
Explain your Douglass comment. Not sure I had picked up on that. I’ve become a big fan since belatedly reading His Life and Times as well as David Blight’s fabulous biography of him. A top 5 great American.
Yes, Dan. It was a nasty time, and CFK and co. got a lot of mileage out of it in different ways. I remember the interminable essays in Pagina 12 by Horacio Verbitsky (I called him Verboseky for short) blasting Bergoglio's alleged collaboration with the junta regime. Several included exhaustive accounts of what happened to those disappeared priests. (Other people too). Of course, I was not an investigative reporter and never did a deep dive of my own. It's easier to strike a heroic pose in retrospect, and it seemed clear that Bergoglio had been too smart to poke the lion with a stick during that dark period. Before long, though, even CFK and co figured out it was to their political advantage to embrace the Argentine pope rather than to try to discredit him. I remember the first time she greeted him as pope at some public event (may have been in Rome), the photo was on the front pages. Water under the bridge.
A great memory for you and an interesting story for us. Thanks for sharing it.
Love these sentences and the turns of phrases in them: “They have an inside track into human striving and frailty, after all. As a result, some have a welcome edge of cynicism, leavened by irony and humor…”. Thanks for sharing that.
Depressing how omnipresent Karl Schmitt is these days. I hadn’t thought about the guy since graduate school and now he’s everywhere, just like Frederick Douglass was in the first term.
The ignorance in this country of how Argentina feels about us—and has for decades—is profound. Yes, that irony you mention is rich but i doubt Vance’s ever going to have the accolades El Papa is receiving.
Fascinating, Alexis. Thank you.
I know you know Argentina well. In response to a comment from a close Argentine friend, I edited the app version of this post slightly. Another reason I was somewhat surprised Bergoglio had accepted my meeting request was that he was not exactly a fan of the USA and was probably reluctant to meet with an agent of global imperialism. How ironic that his final official encounter with an outsider was with our very own VP. As you may know, Pope Francis had strong views of our current administration.
Alexis, what a lovely piece. And super interesting to ponder the difference between the ornery Jesuit and the People's Pope. Very nicely done.
Thanks Alexis! I hadn't thought about the military regime and disappearances in Argentina in a very long time. Pope Francis was one of the good ones. Not many are willing to stand up for the immigrants and lost souls who are wandering our earth.
Explain your Douglass comment. Not sure I had picked up on that. I’ve become a big fan since belatedly reading His Life and Times as well as David Blight’s fabulous biography of him. A top 5 great American.
Yes, Dan. It was a nasty time, and CFK and co. got a lot of mileage out of it in different ways. I remember the interminable essays in Pagina 12 by Horacio Verbitsky (I called him Verboseky for short) blasting Bergoglio's alleged collaboration with the junta regime. Several included exhaustive accounts of what happened to those disappeared priests. (Other people too). Of course, I was not an investigative reporter and never did a deep dive of my own. It's easier to strike a heroic pose in retrospect, and it seemed clear that Bergoglio had been too smart to poke the lion with a stick during that dark period. Before long, though, even CFK and co figured out it was to their political advantage to embrace the Argentine pope rather than to try to discredit him. I remember the first time she greeted him as pope at some public event (may have been in Rome), the photo was on the front pages. Water under the bridge.