Argentine-born Pope Francis has been photographed holding up a sign that calls for talks between the U.K. and Argentina regarding the Falkland Islands.

Argentina has long disputed the U.K.’s claim to the Falklands, which the Latin American country calls the Malvinas. In 1982 U.K. forces defeated Argentine troops that had invaded the area. Although the war left Argentina and the U.K. still disputing the islands' sovereignty, a U.N. resolution has called for a dialogue between the powers which will hopefully come to a settlement of the heated issue.

As reported by the BBC, the Pope received the sign from Gustavo Hoyo, the leader of a campaign that calls for the start of Falklands talks. The sign bluntly reads: "It's time for dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands.''

Ciro Benedittini, a Vatican official, has tried to explain away the Pope's sign holding, which looks to many like nationalistic favoritism on the part of the pontiff, by saying that, "during the general audience many people hand the Pope different items." As the Pope was in fact unaware of what was actually written on the sign, Benedittini says that there was no endorsement of anything.

Hoyo, however, feels that the message was clear, as he told an Argentine newspaper that "when he (the Pope) passed by, I explained what this was about and he kindly took the placard and got the picture taken.”

"He could have chosen not to do it, but he did,” says Hoyo.

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who has been very vocal about her nation’s right to the Falklands, posted images of the Pope holding the sign up on her Twitter account.

In April, de Kirchner addressed an audience about Argentina’s claims to the Falklands, saying, as quoted in the Guardian, “We will see the islands form part of our territory again. It’s not just wishful thinking.”