Pope Francis met with a Cro-Magnon survivor: “I will not forget that morning”

Pope Francis met with Javier Carrenosurvivor of Cro-Magnon, the fire that occurred on the night of December 30, 2004 and that left a balance of 194 dead and thousands injured. “I don’t forget that morning when I went to the hospitals,” recalled the Supreme Pontiff.

Carreño is also the author of the book A Night in Hell and took the opportunity to give a copy to Francisco. “I am a Cro-Magnon survivor… from all the boys. There is a chapter dedicated to you“said the writer when he gave the copy to the leader of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis and the memory of Cro-Magnon

On December 30, 2024, it will be 20 years since the Cromañón tragedy occurred, where a fire in the renowned Buenos Aires nightclub during a recital by the band Callejeros generated a balance of 194 people dead and 1,432 injured. In this scenario, Pope Francis received at the Vatican to Carreñoa survivor of the fateful night.

In detail, Carreño is the author of the book A Night in Hell, a novel based on real events that tells what happened in the bowling alley in the Balvanera neighborhood. During his visit, the writer He gave a copy to Francisco and told him that there is a chapter dedicated specifically to him.

In response to Carreño’s gift, the Pope responded: “I remember that morning when I went to the hospitals,” and he took the book and shook the man’s hand.

The writer showed a video on his social networkswhere the meeting with the Supreme Pontiff was portrayed, and wrote: “A 2024 to remember. Francis receives A Night in Hell (Cro-Magnon’s novel) during a visit I made to the Vatican, His strong hand gave me his blessing,” the writer recalled.

It should be noted that in the early morning of December 31, the leader of the Catholics entrusted Monsignor Eduardo Garcíaone of his collaborators, celebrate mass in Bartolomé Miter and Ecuador, in front of the damaged premises. Hours after the accident, the then Pope John Paul IIexpressed his “deep regret” for the numerous young deaths.

Deputies authorized to extend the deadline for the expropriation of Cromañón

In the year that will mark two decades since the tragedy occurred, the Chamber of Deputies approved and sent to the Senate a bill to extend for four years the period that the State has to promote the expropriation of the bowling alley where Cro-Mañón operated until 2004when a tragic fire caused 194 deaths.

The initiative was approved by a large majority: garnered 211 voteswhile they did against it four legislators from La Libertad Avanza (LLA). It is about the Buenos Aires libertarians Alberto Benegas Lynch and Nicolas EmmaRomina Diez from Santa Fe and Guillermo Montenegro.

The treatment of the project was proposed by the Union por la Patria (UxP) deputy Paula Penaccawith the argument that it is a request from the relatives of the victims of Cromañón to be able to make that property a space of memory. The initiative establishes that it is extended for four years the term established in Law 21,499 to promote the expropriation trial in relation, solely and exclusivelye, to the declaration of public utility and subjection to expropriation provided by the Law No. 27,695.

Within the text, it is noted that “Cro-Magnon not only represents a physical placebut also one of the most tragic massacres in Argentinain which at least 194 people died, mostly young people, and thousands suffered physical and psychological trauma.” “It is the duty of the State to guarantee reparatory instances that allow the collective memory to be preserved and avoid the isolation of the victims in their individual claims.” , indicated the initiative.

It was argued that “creating a space dedicated to memory will help transform pain into struggle and foster a common understanding so that events like these are not repeated.”