Pope holds first political talks with Argentine president

Pope Francis received compatriot President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina in the Vatican on Monday in his first meeting with a head of state as world leaders arrived in Rome ahead of his inauguration mass.

The first pontiff from Latin America had testy relations with Kirchner when he was Buenos Aires' archbishop, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, particularly over gay marriage and abortion laws.

Her late husband Nestor had called Bergoglio "the true head of the opposition" because of his behind-the-scenes meetings with political leaders.

"The Holy Father is having lunch with the Argentine president following a private meeting that lasted 15-20 minutes," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

As expected, Francis is attracting a heavyweight turnout from Latin America, home to two in five of the world's Catholics, although he has urged his compatriots to save their money and make donations to the poor instead of travelling.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, a former leftist guerrilla fighter, arrived in Rome and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is expected.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera was also in Rome and attended the pope's first Sunday prayers.

He tweeted that the event had been "very emotional".

The first meeting between the new leaders of the Catholic and Anglican churches -- Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby -will have to wait, however, Daily Star reports.