Pope says he hopes to keep promise to visit native Argentina for first time since becoming pontiff

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis says if he can, he’ll keep a promise to visit his native Argentina in the second half of this year. The pontiff last year said he hoped to visit the South American country he left when he was elected pope in 2013 and hasn’t visited since. In an interview Sunday night with the host of a talk show host on a private Italian TV channel, Francis said he is worrying about Argentina’s people because “they are suffering much,” an apparent reference to the ravaged economy in that country. Francis said that he plans to visit Polynesia in August and that an Argentine trip would come sometime after that, in the second part of 2024. Late last year, Francis said Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, had invited him.