(AGI) Vatican City, Dec 19 - Pope Francis received the threechildren of his close friend Alicia Oliveira, who passed awayin November, to honour the Argentinian human rights lawyer'smemory together. Oliveira was the first female criminal judgein Argentina, and became a human rights advocate when she wasdismissed by the military dictatorship. Her children, MariaJose', Mariano, and Alejandro Sarrabayrouse Oliveira, side byside with their spouses, Fabian Sultani, Ana Rosa Cunha daCruz, and Raquel Pannunzio, shared a private moment with thePope during mass on Friday, the Osservatore Romano reported.Pope Francis and Oliveira's friendship dated back to 1976, whenOliveira was being hunted by the authorities and went intohiding with her children. At the time, Pope Francis was stillJorge Mario Bergoglio, Provincial Superior of the Jesuit orderin Argentina, and gave Oliveira refuge in the college of SanMiguel, in the Almagro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. Speakingwith His Holiness, Oliveira's daughter Maria Jose' recalledthat period, and her mother's activism in particular asco-founder of the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)and as Defensora del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, andworking to defend citizens' rights during the corralito of2001, when the government enforced restrictive economicmeasures to prevent a bank run. Oliveira died on November 5after battling a brain tumour. On December 13 Argentina'sPresident, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, posthumously awardedOliveira the yearly prize dedicated to Azucena Villaflor, afounder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo association. Thetwo women will now be remembered together as defenders offreedom and human rights. (AGI).