Pope Francis Renews Argentinian Passport

The Holy Father told Argentina’s Vatican ambassador that he wishes to retain his original nationality when traveling internationally.

(photo: Wikimedia Commons)

 BUENOS AIRES — Pope Francis has renewed his Argentinian passport, according to Argentina’s Ministry of the Interior and Transportation, and his new documents will be sent to St. Martha’s guesthouse at the Vatican.

“His Holiness communicated with Juan Pablo Cafiero, our ambassador to the Vatican, and told him he wished to continue traveling around the world with his Argentinian passport,” said Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo.

Therefore, the minister continued, “his application was filed on Friday through the digital center we operate in Rome.”

According to La Nacion newspaper, Randazzo said that Pope Francis did not want any special privileges, and so the normal procedure for filing for a new passport was followed.

The process for obtaining the Pope’s documents is the same as that “followed by all Argentinians,” Randazzo explained, “in which a photo, his fingerprints and his signature were taken in around 15 minutes. In the next few days, he will be receiving it at St. Martha’s residence at the Vatican, which he declared as his residency.”

Randazzo said the Pope’s gesture and his choice to travel the world as the highest representative of the Catholic Church using the same document as any other Argentinian “fills us with pride.”