The Vice-President for Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who survived an assassination attempt after a gunman's weapon jammed, said she is alive "because of God and the Virgin Mary".

At a meeting with priests and nuns on Thursday, Ms Fernández de Kirchner said she wanted her first public appearance to be with them. 

"It seems to me that if I had to thank God and the Virgin I had to do it surrounded by priests."    

These were her first public comments since the attack on 1st September 2022. The incident happened as Ms Fernández de Kirchner greeted supporters outside her home.

A small crowd had gathered to show its backing for the vice-president, who is currently on trial for corruption, when a man pointed a handgun at her head. 

The moment was captured on video.

During her meeting, she also expressed gratitude to the Pope, also original from Argentina, for calling her just hours after the failed attack.

She said: "Pope Francis called me very early the next day. We were talking on the phone and he told me something like this: that acts of hate, acts of hate and violence, are always preceded by words and by verbs of hate and violence."

The gun did not fire, but Argentina's President, Alberto Fernández, later said it had been loaded with five bullets.

President Fernández described it as "the most serious incident since the return of democracy" in 1983.

Fernando Sabag Montiel, 35-years-old, and his girlfriend Brenda Uliarte, 23-years-old have been charged with attempted murder.

They both deny any involvement.