Amalia Damonte recounted her love story alongside Pope Francis.
Pope Francis died after alarming his followers around the world after it was revealed that his health was not optimal, requiring hospitalization.
The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital last Friday, February 14, for breathing problems, which turned out to be due to bronchitis caused by a polymicrobial infection, along with bilateral pneumonia.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis’s real name, is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church; he was the first Pope of Latin American origin, having been born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936.
Amalia Damonte, the Argentine who was Pope Francis’s great love
Amid the fascination with discovering every aspect of Pope Francis’ life, a surprising and personal story has come to light, revealing that, in part, love was one of the factors that led him to the path of religious life.
Although many believe it was a divine love, the reality is that it was a story that she experienced in her adolescence and that would shape her destiny in an unexpected way.
Pope Francis, just 12 years old, experienced a teenage romance that led him to make a promise to his girlfriend, Amalia Damonte.
The young Bergoglio told her: “If I can’t marry you, I’ll become a priest.” This statement remained etched in Amalia’s memory. In an interview with the Argentine press in 2013, she recalled the episode with a smile and added humorously: “Luckily for him, I said no.”
The story of this unrequited love is typical of a young romance: secret letters, parental rejection, and a love that eventually fades away.
However, the connection between Bergoglio and Amalia, coupled with the disapproval of her parents, had a significant impact on the path Bergoglio would take, distancing him from the initial idea of forming a family with her.
Amalia, who lived just a few doors down from Francisco’s house in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, shared that her parents’ opposition limited their communication.
“My father hit me because I dared to write a note to a child,” she recounted.
Because of this, the bond between them was never completely broken.
Amalia’s revelation about this youthful romance comes at a key moment in Bergoglio’s history, just after his election as Pope Francis.
Finally, despite his initial reservations, Francis assumed leadership of the Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Benedict XVI.
At 76, Pope Francis faced a Catholic Church facing significant challenges: growing competition from evangelical churches in the southern hemisphere, a shortage of priests, and the sexual abuse crisis that has deeply affected the institution.
Thus, amidst the political and social difficulties of the Catholic Church, a love story and a promise of youth remind us of the human side of the man who led the Church for many years.
