Overview
- Guillermo Karcher, a close collaborator since 1992, says Francis told him privately, “They had me for 76 years; now it’s my turn to serve the world,” explaining why he would not go back to Argentina.
- Karcher says the categorical answer came just days after the pope’s first appearance on St. Peter’s Basilica balcony in 2013, and he never raised the matter again.
- He frames the choice in light of age, noting Francis was elected at 76, beyond the usual episcopal retirement age of 75, and embraced a broader vocation rather than a homeland visit.
- Karcher describes Francis as “the parish priest of the world,” focused on peripheries, social conflicts, and fostering long-term processes within the Church.
- He adds that Francis kept an open-door approach to audiences without vetting résumés, receiving political figures such as Cristina Kirchner and Javier Milei alongside ordinary visitors.