Thousands of Tango dancers to perform for Pope's birthday

Rome, Italy, Dec 2, 2014 / 02:43 am

Pope Francis enjoys the customs of his native Argentina. He drinks mate – an Argentinean tea – he follows soccer, and likes to listen to Tango music.

Consequently, some 7,000 Tango dances have decided to perform a flash mob for the pontiff to celebrate his 78th birthday this month.

Touted on social networks as "the largest milonga in the world," nearly 9,000 dancers were invited to take part. The event is planned for Pope Francis' birthday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m. at Rome's Risorgimento Square, just steps away from St. Peter's.

Cristina Camaroni, who is organizing the flash mob, posted on Facebook that she is very happy with the event.

"We have gotten all of the permits and we will dance a milonga with the official permission of the city of Rome and the Vatican gendarmerie!" she said.

The flash mob dance is expected to last two hours, and the city will block traffic as the Tango dancers give their performance.

About 3,000 of the dancers are expected to take part that same morning in the Pope's Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square. They will each be wearing a white handkerchief around their necks.

In the 2010 book-interview, "The Jesuit," by Francesca Ambrogetti and Sergio Rubin, then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio – who is now Pope Francis – said, "I like Tango very much. It's something that comes from inside of me. My favorite singers are Carlos Gardel, Julio Sosa and Ada Falcon, who later became a nun."