News - Pope Francis says he loves the sea but hasn't been there in almost 50 years

Pope Francis has said that he loves the sea, but the last time he visited the sea was in 1975. "I love the sea. In 1976, I was supposed to go, but they said that there would be a coup [in Argentina]. And the revolution happened. And after that I did not return to the sea. I love the sea, I like it very much," he said in an interview with TG1 television. On March 24, 1976, the military, led by General Jorge Rafael Videla, seized power in Argentina. The parliament was dissolved, a curfew was imposed, the activities of political parties and trade unions were suspended, and repressions began in the country. According to human rights organizations, during the military dictatorship that ended in 1983, a total of 30,000 people disappeared without a trace in Argentina. And answering a reporter's question about who he likes more, Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona, the pontiff, who is known for his passion for football, said: "I would add the third: Pele." "I talked to Pele, once I met him on a plane when I was in Buenos Aires, we started talking; very human. All three are great," he added.