Amalia Damonte, Pope Francis' childhood friend and neighbor, March 14, 2013 /AP Images
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina An Argentine woman who grew up as the neighbor of the future Pope Francis says she was very briefly the object of his affections when they were just 12 years old.
Amalia Damonte is now 76, just like the pope, and she still lives in a house just four doors down from where Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
And she says it was clear from the start that he was thinking about dedicating his life to God.
"My parents pulled me away completely. From that point on they did everything possible to separate us," she said. "What I wanted is for him to disappear from the map!"
They did talk one more time however, she said. "I told him, please, don't approach me again, get as far away as possible, because if you get close to my father, he'll kill you!"
In the end, she said, "it was nothing important because we couldn't have much with the parents we had."
The Bergoglio family moved away from Membrillar Street decades ago. Damonte said she moved away as well, married and raised a family, and only returned to her parents' home years later. She followed her former neighbor's rise through the church, naturally, but never tried to speak with him again.
"I think he's really very down-to-earth, and that's how I am, too. I'm very humble. You all will notice. I'm always the same. Perhaps in that sense we might be soulmates. Because we're very humble, we love the poor. The trouble is that today there's no love for the poor. People love fancy clothes and nothing more," she said, tugging at her collar.
Argentine papers and television have been calling Damonte the "Pope's Girlfriend," and wondering whether she'll try to see him again. She says that's ridiculous.
"He's in a very high position, and I'm still very humble," she said. "I'm the past. A past that's lovely, clean, humble. They say that you never escape your origins."
I shake my head in disbelief at the heathenish moron who cannot grasp the basic concept of speaking in a literate manner. Will someone please translate the gibberish I will now quote:
"Forgot say....she must be responsible his decision to become celibate."
This is just rediculous to print such a worthless piece of no news. Just as it is for her to even respond to a reporter. 12 years old...she is in a fantasy world where she believes true love was budding at that age. This is the kind of sh__ that makes me angry ever time I fall into reading these posts on CBS. The National Enquirer had better news.
Superfly, saw you comments about the 3 killed today in a FL plane crash. I hope everyone goes to read it so everyone can see what an uneducated, piece of dung you are. Superfly....why am I nor suprised by your I.D. America needs more of your type.
Your inability to accept mortality is your problem, not mine. I am a pilot, and have spent years in combat in austere environments, of which you will never experience. I have accepted the fact people die, just as they are born. If you choose to sulk, so be it, but please let us know where that gets you as I am curious. As for the reference of a piece of dung, let me be the first to congratulate you on your expanded vocabulary. Now if only you would focus on grammar, then you would have a valid argument about a person's education, i.e.,"...saw you comments..." You are stealing oxygen every time you breath and do the world no good.
This is awesome, crappy news, and people becoming emotional about it! Last Pope was a Hitler Youth, this one needs some kind of juicy story to build some street cred!
I am much more humble than she is and more modest too.
Rajah88 is even a much more humble and modest Hindu who is expert on Argentine history and politics, but Amnesty International declarations - not so much.
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Sister, you are barking up the wrong tree - this is a catholic priest.
"Forgot say....she must be responsible his decision to become celibate."
By the way superfly - his english is much better than your spanish, so you are the moron who couldn't figure out such a simple sentence.
"heathenish" will - his sentiment is childish and I regret bothering to figure it out - but I don't know about 'heathenish'.
Plus whatever happened to the guy in the story? Don't leave us hanging.
Woopee do! Big deal. No story here. Everyone go home.
Rajah88 is even a much more humble and modest Hindu who is expert on Argentine history and politics, but Amnesty International declarations - not so much.