The Office of the President-Elect of Argentina confirmed on X that the country’s new president, Javier Milei, received a rosary from Pope Francis on Nov. 24.

The sacramental, blessed by the Holy Father, was sent to Milei and vice president-elect Victoria Villarruel.

Pope Francis’ gift follows a phone call he had last week with the president-elect of Argentina in which the pontiff congratulated Milei and advised him to have “courage and wisdom” in governing the nation.

Milei took advantage of the occasion to invite the pope to visit his homeland in 2024.

Both gestures mark the beginning of a new relationship between the two as Milei has apologized for the insults and criticism that he had previously publicly leveled against the Holy Father.

A libertarian economist, Milei won the Nov. 19 presidential election by defeating Sergio Massa, who represented the continuity of the current government with “kirchnerismo” policies similar to those of Nestor and Cristina Kirchner, who each served as president between 2003 and 2015.

While Massa proposed a model based on the state’s presence and intervention in the country’s economic growth, Milei secured the majority of votes with proposals such as eliminating most taxes, removing subsidies, and promoting the free market, reducing the presence of the state to a minimum.

The new president of the nation will take office Dec. 10.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.