Pope Francis makes news in Argentina by holding sign advocating for dialogue on Falklands

ALTERNATIVE CROP OF ROM101 - A placard which reads, "It's time for dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom for Falkland", is held by faithful as Pope Francis is greeted during the weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015. (Claudio Peri/ANSA Via AP) (The Associated Press)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Pope Francis is raising eyebrows in his homeland of Argentina after being photographed in Rome holding a sign advocating for dialogue over the disputed Falkland Islands.

Several news agencies shot pictures of Francis holding the sign Wednesday after his general audience. The sign reads: "It's time for dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands."

It wasn't immediately clear if Francis was simply politely holding a sign that he was handed or was purposely wading into the dispute.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez tweeted the photo to her nearly 4 million followers with the hashtag #MalvinasArgentinas, referring to the islands' Spanish name. The photo was broadcast widely by local stations.

Argentina lost a brief war with Britain in 1982, but still claims the South Atlantic territory.