The first female ambassador to the Vatican

 Maria Fernanda Silva  is a forerunner in two ways. First of all, she is the  first  woman  to be an ambassador to the  Vatican      in the history of Argentine diplomacy. Secondly, she is the  first Afro-descendant  to be incorporated into the Foreign Service of the Nation.

Silva is the daughter of  Argentine father and Cape Verdean mother . She holds a degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations from Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA). He has been a member of the Permanent Active Service of Chancellery since 1 January 1993. Now, she was  formalized as ambassador  with decree 246/2020 on March 6, in which former ambassador Rogelio Pfirter will succeed.

Previously, he was assigned at the embassy of Via della Conciliazione 22 as “number two” during the period 2014-2015. In addition, he has a long experience in the offices in Venezuela, Chile and Ecuador. He served in the Office of International Arbitration Argentina/Chile Laguna del Desierto, in the South America Directorate and represented the country at the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC).

A previous relationship with Francisco

María Fernanda Silva's  story  already has a chapter in which Pope Francis participates,  when he was still called  Jorge Bergoglio   and was the archbishop of Buenos Aires. She also came from the Flores neighborhood, she went through a particular situation with her ex-husband and father of her daughter.

The man  decided that he wanted to be a priest , so the  canonical nullity of marriage was requested. In that process, Bergoglio was the spiritual support of the couple and accompanied Silva to cope with the situation.

Our best wishes to Maria Fernanda Silva, a forerunner who still has a long way to go.