Updated

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.