Memory and forward-looking vision come together in the documentary that will be officially presented and screened at the Vatican Film Library. Then, on April 10, it will be shown on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, a key landing point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Vatican News The northern Italian town of Asti, Vatican City, and the southern island of Lampedusa are geographically distant but united by a common thread: the memory of Pope Francis, his roots, and his constant exhortations to look toward the future of the Church through the eyes of the Gospel. The documentary “Francis’ Argentina” (“L’Argentina di Francesco”) traces this journey through time and space, with testimonies and archival footage. It was produced by the Catholic TV Station Telepace in collaboration with Vatican News. On Wednesday, April 8, a screening will take place at the Vatican Film Library in the morning, while the official presentation is scheduled on the afternoon of the same day in Asti, the northern Italian town where Pope Francis’ family originated. The screening at Asti's Pastrone Hall will see the presence of Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s relatives, amongst others. “In the morning, I wake up and wait for that phone call from ‘Giorgio’ that never comes,” says Pope Francis’ cousin Carla Rabezzana, who had welcomed him for lunch in her home in the Portacomaro area during his visit to Asti in November 2022. “In his heart there was the desire to come and visit me,” adds another cousin, Nella Bergoglio, who lives in Peveragno in the province of nearby Cuneo. “I miss his straightforwardness, his faith, his way of communicating with people—and, why not, even his proverbs.” Remembering Francis “He loved all of us from Asti very much,” says Orsola Appendino, who provided technical consultation and organizational support for the documentary that was filmed in Buenos Aires. “The last time I met him was on December 12, 2024, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of the celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even then, he came up to me and greeted me in Piedmontese, saying clearly and loudly: ‘cerea!’,” she continues, showing a video recorded by some of the faithful present. Many moments featured in the film remain etched in the minds and hearts of people around the world. This feeling certainly extends to the residents of Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean - the destination of Pope Francis' first pastoral visit - where the documentary will be screened on April 10 at the parish of St. Gerlando. “The island remembers Francis and awaits Leo,” says parish priest Father Carmelo Rizzo, looking ahead to Pope Leo’s visit, scheduled for July, in light of the anniversary of Pope Francis’ trip to the island in 2013. “We owe a great deal to Pope Francis, also in the way we view and live the Church’s mission. And the documentary represents not only an opportunity for a collective embrace of a Pope who knew how to draw close to others, but also a chance to recall his message of hope and welcome.”