Love and Fate

Pope Francis' greatest love: Amalia Damonte, the woman that could have changed history

‘He Told Me If He Didn’t Marry Me, He Would Become a Priest’

Deputy Editor - U.S.

APRIL 26, 2025 5:13 AM EDTAPR 26, 2025, 5:13 AM EDT

Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s name has etched itself into history. At 76, he was elected as the 266th Pope, adopting the name Francis for his papacy. Since then, he became known globally, and his passing on April 21 at the age of 88 has left many in mourning. However, before becoming the leader of the Catholic Church, the Argentine native had a profound love that nearly altered the course of his destiny.

That love was Amalia Damonte, an Argentine woman whom Jorge Mario met during childhood in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires. According to local reports, they lived just a few blocks apart. At 12 years old, they began spending time together, playing and engaging in community activities, which led to frequent encounters.

Amalia Damonte was Pope Francis's childhood sweetheart, who died this Monday, April 21, at the age of 88.

As the years passed, the bond between them deepened. They communicated through letters, a common practice among lovers before the digital age took over. One letter revealed Jorge Mario’s heartfelt emotions towards Amalia:

“If I don’t marry you, I will become a priest,” she recalled, remembering his words of commitment and love.

“He was mature, wonderful,” Amalia recalled in an interview with Argentine media. “We played on the sidewalks or in the local parks, we danced. It was a beautiful time. We were very humble, we loved the poor, and in that, we were soulmates,” she added. She even shared how Jorge Mario imagined a future with her, drawing a house with a red roof and white walls, a symbol of the life they would have shared as husband and wife. But that dream was never realized.

What happened between Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Amalia Damonte?

As romantic as their story may seem, it didn’t end happily for the couple. Amalia was just as deeply in love with Jorge Mario as he was with her, and their talks about the future were a fleeting illusion that vanished when Amalia’s parents discovered their correspondence. Upon learning of their daughter’s young age, they strongly opposed the idea of marriage and exercised their parental authority by forbidding her from seeing Jorge Mario again.

The house in the Flores neighborhood of Argentina where Amalia Damonte, Pope Francis's childhood sweetheart, lived.

“My mother found the letter and gave me a beating,” Amalia recalled. “I begged Jorge Mario not to see me anymore. It was just a childish thing,” she added. While she still lives in Argentina, she never moved into the house with the red roof and white walls her first love had promised her, cherishing the memory of that romantic chapter in her heart.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up in the Flores neighborhood of his native Buenos Aires, Argentina. — Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis, continued his path to faith when his wish to marry Amalia Damonte was not fulfilled.

True to his word, Jorge Mario continued his spiritual journey. In December 1936, just days before his 33rd birthday, he was ordained as a priest. His spiritual path eventually led him to live in Germany and later in Córdoba, Argentina. His character caught the attention of Pope John Paul II, who, in 1992, appointed him titular bishop of Oca and one of the four auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Following the death of Pope John Paul II, Bergoglio was considered one of the top contenders for the papacy.

Pope Francis greets faithful the weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on April 26, 2017 in Vatican City, Vatican

In March 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pope. Now, as the world bids farewell to him this week, his funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square. Several political leaders and royal figures have confirmed their attendance.