Pope Francis expresses sorrow for the death of its president and founder Hebe de Bonafini: “Her boldness and courage, at times when silence prevailed, kept alive the search for truth and memory.”
Madres de Plaza de Mayo (Mothers of Plaza de Mayo), who have been calling for justice in Argentina for all the ‘desaparecidos,’ those who disappeared during the military dictatorship.
Pope Francis remembered Hebe de Bonafini in his letter recalling her “boldness and courage” and her ability to transform her grief over the disappearance of her children “into a tireless quest to defend the rights of the most marginalized and invisible.” The Pope paid tribute to the Argentine activist, founder and president of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo (Mother of Plaza de Mayo) who died on 20 November at the age of 93 due to health complications.
The Pope’s condolence note saluted all the Mothers, the women, who for 45 years have taken to the streets in Buenos Aires in front of the Casa Rosada to call for justice and truth for the desaparecidos (disappeared) during the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina. The Pope encouraged them to carry forward Hebe de Bonafini’s commitment and continue to be “Mothers of Memory.”