Macri hopes for a papal visit

Mauricio Macri (right) was elected as the new president of Argentina on Sunday after a second round of voting, beating the candidate from the incumbent party, Daniel Scioli. In one of his first press conferences he said he hoped Pope Francis would visit the country as soon as possible, writes Isabel de Bertodano.

Mr Macri, from the centre right Cambiemos party, won 52 per cent of the vote and vowed to turn around the ailing economy. “I have the best possible impression of the Pope, we all lived alongside him,” said Mr Macri, addressing the press earlier this week. “I hope he will visit us in 2016 or 2017.”

Mr Macri, mayor of Buenos Aires since 2008, has met the Pope on various occasions, both at the Vatican and when he was still Archbishop of Buenos Aires. 

Last week the Pope advised Argentines to “vote with your conscience”. Mr Macri has said he is a “non-practising Catholic”.