Among possible destinations in 2024: Francis' home country

By Zenit News/ITV staff

Since he became Pope 11 years ago, Francis has covered more than a quarter million miles — but never to Argentina. that could change this year.

In the 11 years since Pope Francis assumed the Petrine office, on March 13, 2013, he has never once returned to his homeland, and many have found it puzzling.

Pope John Paul II immediately returned to his homeland, Poland, the year after he became Pope in 1978, with a pilgrimage to nine Polish cities in June 1979. He traveled to Poland twice more during his pontificate. Benedict XVI visited Germany several times as Pope. Yet Francis, despite visiting both Paraguay and Bolivia — both countries bordering Argentina — during a 2015 trip, has never gone “home.” Some wonder if there has been something stopping him. Indeed, Francis referred to the Argentine government as a perceived roadblock when he said in a recent January 14, 2024 interview that a trip to Argentina is now possible “because there is a change of government.”

So this year Pope Francis will have perhaps his best opportunity to finally return to the land of his birth, where he spent his entire life and ecclesial career until being elected Pope. In the January interview, the pontiff said: “In August, I have to make the trip to Polynesia, very far away, and after that, the one to Argentina would be made if it can be done. I want to go there.” Regarding Argentina, the Pope added: “There, people are suffering a lot. It is a difficult time for the country. The possibility of making a trip in the second half of the year is being considered because there is a change of government, there are new things…” The Pope already has an official invitation from the new president, Javier Milei, 53.

As for Polynesia, it is not exactly known which country in that geographical region he would visit (Polynesia is composed of four nations, namely: Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu, and by five territories of the United States, France, New Zealand, Chile, and the United Kingdom located in that area).

A historic visit to communist Vietnam?

But Polynesia and Argentina are not the only possible destinations for 2024. In a papal audience granted to members of the Communist Party of Vietnam on January 18, Pope Francis told them that he intends to visit their country. The Pope’s desire must have some seriousness, as the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Richard Paul Gallagher, now has plans to visit Vietnam in April 2024. And as far as is known, after him, Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Pope, will also go to Vietnam. Moreover, in December 2023, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong sent a letter to the Pope inviting him to visit the country. During the return trip from Mongolia,

Pope Francis expressed his desire to go to Vietnam. Pope Francis will visit Papua new Guinea in August, the country’s foreign minister, Justin Tkatchenko, said in January. The government has received an “official note” that Francis will visit “in August for three days.” Reportedly, the Pope could at that time also visit East Timor and Indonesia in August — countries he planned to visit in 2020 — but that has not been officially confirmed.

The Canary Islands could be another destination for the Pope in 2024. On January 15, Francis received the president of the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain, and the three bishops from Tenerife and the titular and auxiliary bishops of Gran Canaria. The Pope learned about the drama resulting from migration waves from Africa and expressed a desire to visit the region. The Canary Islands are on the way to… Argentina, and thus, this trip possibly could take place in the second half of 2024 as well.