'Profound sorrow': Argentina mourns homegrown Pope Francis

By Lucila Sigal and Miguel Lo Bianco

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentines, caller from holding Easter household gatherings astir the parrilla barbecue, woke connected Monday to the bittersweet quality that Pope Francis, the erstwhile archbishop of Buenos Aires, had died successful the Vatican astatine the property of 88 aft battling illness.

Born successful Buenos Aires arsenic Jorge Bergoglio successful 1936 to Italian migrant parents, Francis was the archetypal Latin American pope. Some successful his homeland regretted that helium ne'er returned arsenic pontiff, but helium gained plaudits for his absorption connected the poor.

"It is with profound sorrow that I learned this bittersweet greeting that Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, passed distant contiguous and is present resting successful peace," Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei wrote successful a connection connected societal media level X.

Milei, a bombastic economist powerfully successful favour of escaped markets, had clashed with the pope previously, lambasting him arsenic a socialist and adjacent calling him the devil's typical connected earth, though patched things up erstwhile successful office.

Argentina's presidency bureau praised Pope Francis' absorption connected inter-religious dialogue, gathering up spirituality amongst the young and for pushing cost-cutting successful the Vatican, thing that tallies with Milei's 'chainsaw' austerity.

"Despite differences that look insignificant today, having been capable to cognize him successful his goodness and contented was a existent grant for me," Milei added connected X. "I bid farewell to the Holy Father and basal with each of america who are contiguous dealing with this bittersweet news."

In the still-dark aboriginal greeting extracurricular the Buenos Aires cathedral, astir Argentines were inactive conscionable uncovering retired astir the quality arsenic they made their mode to work. A wide for Pope Francis was expected to beryllium held astatine 8.30 a.m. section clip (1130 GMT).

(Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Writing by Adam Jourdan)