Argentinians we feel proud of

Pope Francis was born on December 17th, 1936 and his birth name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church, a title he holds ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and sovereign of Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas.   

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina’s provincial superior of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28th February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13th March.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God’s mercy, concern for the poor and commitment to interfaith dialogue.

Lionel Messi was born on June 24th 1987, in Rosario, Argentina in a working class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner.
He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.

At the age of 13, Messi moved from Argentina to Spain after FC Barcelona agreed to pay for his medical treatments. There he became a star and led his club to championships. In 2012, he set a record for most goals in a calendar year, and in 2016, he was named Europe’s Ballon d’Or winner for the fifth time.

However, he still plays for the Argentinian national team at the World Cup. You will be able to see him at the next World Cup in Russia 2018.

Maxima was born on May 17, 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Educated at the English-style Northlands School in the city, she received a bilingual baccalaureat in 1988, going on to study economics at the Universidad Catolica de Argentina.

She met the  prince of Netherlands, Willem-Alexander in April 1999 in Seville, Spain, during the Seville Spring Fair.

In an interview, they stated that he introduced himself only as “Alexander”, so that she did not know he was a prince. She thought he was joking when he later told her that he was not only a prince, but the Prince of Orange and heir apparent to the Dutch throne

She came to the world’s attention in August 1999, when she appeared with the prince in public for the first time. Although they were dating seriously, Maxima kept her new beau’s identity hidden from her parents.