Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Profession: Servant of the Servants of God

Chiesa ^ | 2-12-2002 | Sandro Magister

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Profession: Servant of the Servants of God

2/12/2002

He´s the latest Latin-American rumored for the papacy, and he´s already at the head among the possible successors of Peter. If elected, he would be the first Jesuit pope

by Sandro Magister                              

(From "L´espresso" no. 49, November 28 - December 5, 2002, original title: "Bergoglio in Pole Position")


Midway through November, his colleagues wanted to elect him president of the Argentine bishops´ conference. He refused. But if there had been a conclave, it would have been difficult for him to refuse the election to the papacy, because he´s the one the cardinals would vote for resoundingly, if they were called together to choose immediately the successor to John Paul II.

He´s Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Bueno Aires. Born in Argentina (with an Italian surname), he has leapt to the top of the list of the papabili, given the ever-increasing likelihood that the next pope could be Latin-American. Reserved, timid, and laconic, he won´t lift a finger to advance his own campaign - but even this is counted among his strong suits.

John Paul II made him a cardinal together with the last group of bishops named to the honor, in February of 2001. On that occasion, Bergoglio distinguished himself by his reserve among his many more festive colleagues. Hundreds of Argentinians had begun fundraising efforts to fly to Rome to pay homage to the new man with the red hat. But Bergoglio stopped them. He ordered them to remain in Argentina and distribute the money they had raised to the poor. In Rome, he celebrated his new honor nearly alone - and with Lenten austerity.

He has always lived this way. Since he was made archbishop of the Argentinian capital, the luxurious residence next to the cathedral has remained empty. He lives in a nearby apartment, together with another bishop, old and sickly. In the evening, he himself cooks for both of them. He rarely drives, getting around most of the time by bus, wearing the cassock of an ordinary priest.

Of course, it´s more difficult now for him to move about unnoticed, his face becoming always more familiar in his country. Since Argentina has spun into a tremendous crisis and everyone else´s reputation - politicians, business leaders, officials, intellectuals - has fallen through the floor, the star of Cardinal Bergoglio has risen to its zenith. He has become one of the few guiding lights of the people.

Yet he´s not the type to compromise himself for the public. Every time he speaks, instead, he tries to shake people up and surprise them. In the middle of November, he did not give a learned homily on social justice to the people of Argentina reduced by hunger - he told them to return to the humble teachings of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. "This," he explained, "is the way of Jesus." And as soon as one follows this way seriously, he understands that "to trample upon the dignity of a woman, a man, a child, an elderly person, is a grave sin that cries out to heaven," and he decides not to do it any more.

The other bishops follow in his footsteps. During the Holy Year of 2000 he asked the entire Church in Argentina to put on garments of public penance for the sins committed during the years of the dictatorship. As a result of this act of purification, the Church had the credibility to be able to ask the nation to acknowledge how its own sins had contributed to its current disaster. At the celebration of the Te Deum at the most recent national feast, last May 25th, there was a record audience for Cardinal Bergoglio´s homily. The cardinal asked the people of Argentina to do as Zacchaeus had done in the Gospel. Here was a sinister loan shark. But, taking account of his moral lowliness, he climbed up into a sycamore tree, to see Jesus and let himself be seen and converted by him.

There isn´t a politician, from the right to the extreme left, who isn´t dying for the blessing of Bergoglio. Even the women of Plaza de Mayo, ultraradicals and unbridled anti-catholics, treat him with respect. He has even made inroads with one of them in private meetings. On another occasion, he visited the deathbed of an ex-bishop, Jeronimo Podestá, who had married in defiance of the Church and was dying poor and forgotten by all. From that moment, Mrs. Podestá became one of his devoted fans.

But Bergoglio has also had his difficulties with his ecclesiastical environment. He is a Jesuit of the old school, faithful to St. Ignatius. He became the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus in Argentina just when the dictatorship was in full furor and many of his confreres were tempted to take up the rifle and apply the teachings of Marx. Once removed from his position as superior, Bergoglio returned to obscurity. He came back into the public eye in 1992 when the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Antonio Quarracino, made him his auxiliary bishop.

From there, his ascent began. The first - and almost only - interview he has given was to a parish news bulletin, "Estrellita de Belém," as if to make the point that the Church is in the minority and shouldn´t cultivate illusions of grandeur.

He travels as little as possible. He visits the Vatican only when strictly necessary, the four or five times a year they summon him. He reserves a small room in a residence for clergy (the "Casa del Clero" on Via della Scrofa), and every morning at 5:30 he´s already awake and praying in the chapel.

Bergoglio excels in one-on-one communication, but he can also speak well in public when necessary. At the last synod of bishops in the fall of 2001, they unexpectedly asked him to take the place of one of the speakers who had withdrawn. Bergoglio managed the meeting so well that, at the time for electing the twelve members of the secretary´s council, his brother bishops chose him with the highest vote possible.

Someone in the Vatican had the idea to call him to direct an important dicastery. "Please, I would die in the Curia," he implored. They spared him.

Since that time, the thought of having him return to Rome as the successor of Peter has begun to spread with growing intensity. The Latin-American cardinals are increasingly focused upon him, as is Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. The only key figure among the Curia who hesitates when he hears his name is Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano - the very man known for supporting the idea of a Latin-American pope.

__________


The Life of a Jesuit


Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936.

He studied chemistry before becoming a Jesuit. He became a priest at the age of 33. He studied philosophy, literature, psychology, and theology in various universities in Argentina, Chile, Spain, and Germany.

In 1973, he was made the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus in Argentina. But in 1980 he returned to his studies and disappeared from public view.

In 1992 he was named auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. In 1998, he became the city´s archbishop. John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2001.

He is the vice-president of the Argentine episcopal conference and is part of the secretary´s council of the worldwide synod of bishops. He speaks Italian well.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Here's an article from Dr. Moynihan from 2005. I trust him. He publishes Inside the Vatican magazine. He speaks of the new pope as being fully in the Ratzinger camp at the last conclave. It gives me great hope:

http://www.insidethevatican.com/newsflash/2005/newsflash-apr14-05-3.htm

From the article:

"Sandro says that, on one side, are "Ratzinger, Ruini, Bergoglio, Scola with their proposal for a new 'Papal Revolution.'"

On the other side, are a group of more "progressive" cardinals, "with Tettamanzi as the man for all seasons."

Like many others, Sandro believes that Ratzinger is "the favorite" as of today. "The indisputable front runner in this conclave at the beginning of the third millennium is...Joseph Ratzinger."

Noting that the votes needed to win are two-thirds of 115 cardinals, or 77 votes, Sandro argues that Ratzinger will open the conclave with nearly that number.

But, Sandro argues, Ratzinger and his party are feared by some cardinals, because the program they have presented to the cardinal electors is "fearsome and demanding." He writes: "They want 'a Church that is not folded in upon itself, not timid, not lacking in trust, a Church burning with the love of Christ for the salvation of all men,' as Cardinal Camillo Ruini said in a homily at a Saint Peter’s basilica overflowing with crowds, two days after the funeral for John Paul II."

Sandro argues that Ratzinger and Ruini have, in recent months, been preparing for the "post-Wojtyla" transition, attracting to their standard "many leading cardinals...some of them likely candidates for the papacy themselves."

He continues: "In the curia there is the German cardinal Walter Kasper, one of Ratzinger and Ruini’s scholarly colleagues since the three were simple theology professors. In Latin America, there is the Argentine of Italian origin Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires. In the United States, there is Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago. In Canada, there is Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Québec. In Australia, there is George Pell, archbishop of Sydney. In Eastern Europe there is Józef Glemp, archbishop of Warsaw. In Italy, there are Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, and Giacomo Biffi, archbishop emeritus of Bologna. This is the framework for the neoconservative party whose beacon is Ratzinger."

He continues: "Another group of cardinals that has recently drawn closer to this party is the circle of cardinals who are friends of Opus Dei, led by the two who are members of Opus: in the Vatican, Julián Herranz, the leading authority on canon law in the curia, and in Latin America, Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima."

What does this Ratzinger-Ruini-Scola-Bergoglio group want? "They want a resumption of the active management of the Church's ordinary governance, its cleansing from 'filthiness,' a reinforcement of the doctrinal and moral formation of the clergy, a renewal of basic evangelization and the teaching of the catechism, a qualitative improvement in the celebration of the liturgy, a new missionary campaign."

In short, they want to really get to work to re-build the Church.

The problem is, that this program will likely lead to a head-on confrontation with what John Paul II used to call "the culture of death" and with what is commonly called "secular humanism."

Something to think about: If in 2005 Bergoglio was fully in Ratzinger's camp, as was Scola, and these three were the top vote getters then, and Scola and Bergoglio were the top vote getters now, then the college of Cardinals is fully under the control of those who support this conservative/orthodox position! That is a great sign of hope for the Church!

[mlizzy]

He visits the Vatican only when strictly necessary, the four or five times a year they summon him. He reserves a small room in a residence for clergy (the "Casa del Clero" on Via della Scrofa), and every morning at 5:30 he´s already awake and praying in the chapel.

First Francis requested prayers for BXVI, then prayers for himself, and finished with his desire to pray to Mary tomorrow... well, what can one say? That's a triune of hope. Welcome Pope Francis!

[LisaFab]

Something to think about: If in 2005 Bergoglio was fully in Ratzinger's camp, as was Scola, and these three were the top vote getters then, and Scola and Bergoglio were the top vote getters now, then the college of Cardinals is fully under the control of those who support this conservative/orthodox position! That is a great sign of hope for the Church!

Amen!

[SMCC1]

Admittedly, he wasn’t my first choice....Actually he wasn’t even a choice! Totally surprised. Also, I’m predisposed to be wary of Jesuits given some education with the Christian Brothers lol. That being said, it sounds like he’s an old-school Jesuit. And as I read eariler (NRO maybe?), his simplicity and humility might be just what is needed “to wipe clean the face of the church.”
(I dont’ think he’s as liturgically sound as Benedict but given his humility and the fact that Benedict is still alive, I also don’t think he’d do anything to radically transform church teaching in that regard.)

[Nifster]

he still has a view of the world that includes ‘social justice’.....this is a very bad thing

[Brian Kopp DPM]

There are views of "social justice" based on Marxism, and there are views of "social justice" truly based on the Gospel. Since he is an ardent opponent of liberation theology and a supporter of Communion and Liberation (which is politically conservative) he appears to support good old fashioned Christian charity as the basis of social justice, not Marxist class envy and redistribution of wealth.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

I dont’ think he’s as liturgically sound as Benedict but given his humility and the fact that Benedict is still alive, I also don’t think he’d do anything to radically transform church teaching in that regard.

True.

See the bolded area below:

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio-Our Holy Father

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Fiat

He is known for his austerity, and thus, probably the reason he chose the name of “Francis”.  I find it interesting that he was picked during the month of St. Joseph, and that he was elected on the 13^th, the number associated with Fatima.  Furthermore, he will be installed on the Feast of St. Joseph.  That bodes well.  Certainly the Abbe de Nantes would have rejoiced at the selection of our next Holy Father.  I am hopeful.   Considering the other possibilities, I was relieved.   I was of the opinion that the ones favored by trads, Ranjith and Burke, did not stand a chance.

The Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit, is described as being reserved, timid, and laconic and austere. The CRC of January 2003 wrote that when he was made Cardinal in 2001, Argentinians  initiated fundraising efforts to fly to Rome for the ceremonies of his receiving the red hat.  Bergoglio ordered the people to stay home and to distribute the monies to the poor. He preferred to celebrate with Lenten austerity, practically alone.    I quote from the CRC:  “He has always lived this way.  Since he was made archbishop of the Argentinian capital, the luxurious residence next to the cathedral has remained empty.  He lives in a nearby apartment, together with another bishop, old and ailing.  In the evening, he himself cooks for both of them.  He rarely drives, getting around most of the time by bus, wearing the cassock of an ordinary priest.”

Though living with simplicity and having sympathy for the poor, he rebuffs Liberation Theology.  The article continues:  “…[H]e is not the type to compromise himself for the public…instead of giving a learned homily on social justice to the people of Argentina, reduced by hunger – he told them to return to the humble teaching of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. ‘ This,’ he explained, ‘is the way of Jesus.’…He is a Jesuit of the old school, faithful to St. Ignatius.”

For me, I find it most welcome to know that he does not like to travel, and that as archbishop and Cardinal, he only flew to Rome when summoned.

In view of his abhorrence to being in the Vatican bureaucracy, I wish I could have seen his reaction when the Cardinals selected him pope.  He is quoted as once having replied to the possibility of being appointed to an important dicastery by saying, “Please, I would die in the Curia.”  It was also said that after the death of John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger as well as Cardinal Ruini,were favorable to him as papabile, while Sodano, according to Magister, would not likely support him.  That was in 2002 and who knows how sides were aligned this time around.  But if  Bergoglio was not a “Sodano man”, than that in itself must be an indication that God has been merciful.

According to Magister, in that interview of ’02, what he found likeable and unique about Bergoglio, was that “He flees everything that resembles honours and the pursuit of a career”; that and his deep spirituality.

We do not have a traditionalist Pope, but we are getting better than what we deserve.  For that, I am grateful, and you can be sure I will be praying much for this Holy Father.

Oh, and I might add just one more thought.  In my opinion, Cardinal Bergoglio was probably selected precisely because of his inexperience with the Roman curia: the “wolves” more easily to devour him.   Just call that woman’s intuition.

[diamond6]

To read tomorrow. Thanks for posting. Today was truly a joyful day, one I’m sure we all sorely needed.

Viva il Papa!

[Salvation]

“Catholic social ministry begins and ends with Jesus Christ,” he said. “If it doesn’t, it isn’t Catholic.”

~Archbishop Chaput

Get it? Social Justice is about relationships, not socialism.

[BlatherNaut]

We do not have a traditionalist Pope, but we are getting better than what we deserve.

And seemingly are getting exactly what the world needs at this point. God has given us a Pope of Extreme Humility, a man who projects an image in complete contrast to the "spirit of the world".

Francis' Christlike example in conjunction with Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum can together inspire and strengthen the faith of those who love our Church's traditions (and perhaps draw others to investigate the beautiful and inspirational spiritual practices which have been forgotten in recent decades).

[Nifster]

time will tell

[Nifster]

not always.....time alone will reveal this pope’s heart

[Salvation]

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