Secret history of the relationship between Francis and the prosecutor who secured former Argentinian President's conviction. A tangled web of double dealing.
For years, it was an unknown connection, marked by private gestures, confidential letters, and an audience at the Vatican.
The connection remained secret for more than two years. But in the days leading up to Cristina Kirchner's conviction, it began to come to light and revealed something very different from the idea that had been established. There was a widespread belief that Pope Francis considered the former President to be a victim of so-called lawfare, that is, a media-judicial scheme to harm her politically. Now it is known that, in reality, the Pontiff was manipulated to give that impression.
This painful episode began to unravel in an interview Cristina Kirchner gave to a news channel two weeks ago, in which she downplayed the contentious relationship she and her husband had with then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio.
In fact, she stated that it was merely a matter of differences of opinion between two leaders whose stature makes them unlikely to walk side by side in Argentina's political future. She added that she ultimately had a close relationship with Francis.
On his radio program, journalist Nelson Castro later clarified that it wasn't merely a disagreement over opinions. For now, in his second year as president, Néstor Kirchner decided to move the traditional Te Deum celebration on May 25th, held in Buenos Aires' Cathedral since the May Revolution, to the interior of the country to avoid criticism from Jorge Bergoglio for his combative style. At the same time, the SIDE (National Intelligence Service) spied on him and listened to his conversations.
Castro also recalled that Kirchner came to consider Bergoglio the "spiritual leader of the opposition" after he supported the nomination of Joaquín Piña, Bishop of Puerto Iguazú, as a candidate for the Constituent Assembly with a view to reforming the Constitution of Misiones. Piña wanted to defeat the provincial ruling party—which he achieved—which sought to introduce indefinite reelection for governor, in line with the President's push for it in the province of Buenos Aires.
Néstor Kirchner later encouraged Jorge Bergoglio's removal from the archbishopric of Buenos Aires—there was talk of a transfer to a practically honorary position at the Vatican—as part of a failed operation involving, among others, his then Chief of Staff, Sergio Massa, in an unlikely partnership with the most conservative sectors of local politics, the Church in Argentina, and the Vatican itself.This columnist, along with Nelson Castro, intervened on his radio program in the campaign of journalist Horacio Verbitsky, through articles in the newspaper Página 12—supervised by the Kirchners—accusing Jorge Bergoglio of having "handed over" two Jesuit priests to the military dictatorship. This accusation, he ultimately testified before a court that found no grounds for charging him.
Later, prosecutor Diego Luciani—who was the protagonist of the eloquent argument against Cristina in the case for which she was convicted—sought to clarify Francis' position regarding Cristina's trial, based on an exchange of letters he had with the Pope himself after hearing the interview and interpreting that Bergoglio considered the former president to be a victim of lawfare.
In his letter, Luciani began by telling the Pope that he had participated in a 2016 Vatican colloquium of judges and prosecutors on human trafficking, and that from that meeting, "his words 'risk your skin' and 'do not get caught in the cobwebs of corruption' resonated with him," and he noted: "Your speech filled me with emotion (...) and inspired me to assume my vocation with courage."
He then defended the impartiality and dedication of him and his entire team in the investigation into the Vialidad case. "We conducted an exhaustive analysis of all the documentation and evidence collected, and during the oral and public trial, which lasted more than three years, we were able to confirm, with great sadness, but without hesitation, that the most serious act of corruption in Argentine history had been committed," he noted.
She also told them that "at that moment, your motivational message took on special meaning and helped me stand up to those in power and secure the conviction of those responsible for such vile actions. In fact, I quoted several passages from your speeches on corruption throughout my argument. For example, when I referred to the 'big fish' who remain outside the 'net' of justice."
“That's why, when I heard you talk about lawfare, I felt helpless and discouraged, and the urgent need to share my personal experience with you simply for doing my job and fulfilling my duty,” Luciani stated with a hint of anguish. He emphasized: “In particular, I want to reassure you that lawfare didn't exist even remotely in this case.”
In the interview with Francisco, the journalist tells him that there are cases of lawfare that have as victims “Lula, Correa, Evo, and (the) current vice president in Argentina,” and Francisco agrees about its existence as a media and judicial operation to harm a politician, but mentions only one case: “That's how Lula was convicted and put in jail.”
Days later, Luciani received a letter from Francis clarifying his position. He admitted that in the interview—one of those he gave on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his papacy—"the host's repeated insistence on linking lawfare to the lady's legal situation is clear, and by closing the episode in this way, it gives the impression that I agreed."
"I remember that I did so regarding President Lula da Silva's legal situation, because I had twice received the committee of lawyers in charge of his release. That committee explained to me the procedural irregularities that constituted true lawfare, but I didn't recall having said anything similar in the case of Mrs Fernández de Kirchner," he told her.
He added: "I confess that I was scared because I wasn't aware of having applied the term 'lawfare' to the vice president's situation." Furthermore, he says that "when I had doubts, I went back and watched the program's recording." Finally, he thanks him for the letter that allows him to clarify: "I thank you again for your closeness, which allows me to avoid a mistake. Thank you!"
Finally, on October 19, 2024, Francis received Luciani and his family in an audience at the Apostolic Palace. The prosecutor reiterated the impetus the 2016 summit had provided for his work, during a conversation he described as "very pleasant and very warm," in which "he made jokes and gave us some rosaries."
“As a token of my gratitude, I gave him a copy of my book, titled ‘Corruption: An Attack on Democracy and Human Rights,’ at which point he opened his eyes wide and said to me: ‘I study the topic of corruption a lot. It's in everything. Keep going forward with strength and courage.’”
Luciani told this reporter: “It was a memory I kept in my heart, which is why I didn't make it public until now.”
Background
Source and much more of her murky political world
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