Rousseff says if pope's Argentine, 'God must be Brazilian'
President adds that Francis is 'great' pontiff
20 March, 19:24
(ANSA) - Brasilia, March 20 - Brazilian President Dilma
Rousseff on Wednesday joked with a reporter over the nationality
of Pope Francis, saying that if the new pontiff was Argentine,
then God must be ''Brazilian''.Many people in Brazil, the world's largest Catholic country, felt snubbed when one of their own was passed over for the highest office of the Church, especially considering the rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.
Joking with a reporter after her meeting with Francis, Rousseff said: ''You have a great Pope, Argentina deserves compliments, but we say that if the Pope is Argentine, God is Brazilian''.
''Pope Bergoglio speaks 'Portugol', (a mix between Portuguese and Spanish) and I do the same,'' Rousseff said, adding that her meeting with the Pope in the Vatican was very interesting.
Rousseff also said she was proud of the fact that she was the first president of a foreign country the Pope met with after his official inauguration Tuesday.
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