A New Papa in Town

I won't belabor the many accounts of the new pope's actions (or inactions) during the Dirty War in Argentina. The New York Times has the basic overview.

In the absence of hard evidence showing complicity, this won't matter much. Of course, I don't mean the accusations don't matter, or that the victims don't matter. But it is hard to see this affecting his new role. Latin Americans are excited about having a pope--even the late Hugo Chávez apparently!--and that's what the average person is thinking about. He's one of us. He rides the subway.

I imagine reporters and researchers are heading to Buenos Aires right now, looking to dig. If they find something concrete, it'll make serious waves. If they don't, then this will likely fade to the background, never going away but at the same time not hovering over him. Even Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was more irked by his social conservatism than by his past. And even she congratulated him.

And remember, if you call him Francis, he'll kill ya.