Argentina Considers Pope Francis Commemorative Coin

Argentinian lawmakers, proud of the first pope to hail from their country, may soon honor Pope Francis by putting his face on a coin.

Argentina’s 480 million Catholics were thrilled by the announcement in March 2013 that then-Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who served as archbishop of Buenos Aires, would become the new Pontiff.

The tribute coin was first proposed in April by Rep. Oscar Cachi Martinez, and quickly gained support from congressional committees.  The Argentinian congressman announced the successful vote yesterday on his Facebook page:

The bill will now go to the South American country’s Senate for consideration.

According to the text of the proposed law, the goal of the coins is

“…to commemorate an event of global dimensions, so our present and future generations remember this splendid act in the history of humanity, in which the principal actor is an Argentine.”

Beneath the Pope’s image would be inscribed,

“Tribute from the Argentine People to Pope Francis.”