Posted on 07/21/2024 9:11:50 PM PDT by ebb tide
The text, taken from Jorge Luis Borges' conversation with Roberto Alifano in 1979, was published by La Cigüeña De La Torre on InfoVaticana.com (19 July). Borges (1899-1986) was an Argentine writer known for his short stories, essays and poems. His literary style and philosophical depth have had an influence on both Spanish and international literature.
"How strange and confusing the people of God can sometimes be, Alifano. Well, I'll tell you. There are two priests who visit me quite often, and they have nothing to do with each other.
You know them both. One I inherited from my mother, who was very pious. I am talking about Father Guillermo, who came to hear her confession every week when she was alive.
The other is Jorge, a Jesuit who is a chemist and now teaches literature at the University of Salvador. María Esther Vázquez introduced me to him a long time ago, so we have a great friendship."
"Guillermo comes almost every week. I tell him the truth, sometimes I don't know how to get rid of him. He's a pain in the ass who insists on converting me and can't admit that there is an agnostic creed I lean towards.
'It's time you put an end to your doubts, Georgie, and believe in God for good,' he lectures me with exaggerated confidence: 'I'll pick you up on Sunday for Mass, then we'll have lunch with the brothers in my parish, and in the afternoon I'll take you to a football stadium to share the excitement with these people.'
Now, it doesn't seem strange to you that this priest doesn't understand that I am blind and that, because of my lack of faith, I have no interest in going to Mass or having lunch with his colleagues. One is enough for me. And even less so to suggest that I accompany him to a football match. Everyone knows I detest that sport."
"We understand each other better with the Jesuit, who is a chemical engineer and a very good reader. He teaches literature and has included my texts in his classes, which I think is a bit much.
I try to dissuade him, telling him that my texts are worthless, that they're just a bunch of drafts, but he doesn't listen...
Apart from this detail, Father Bergoglio is an intelligent and reasonable person. You can talk to him about anything: philosophy, theology, politics.
But there is something that worries me a little. I have noticed that he has as many doubts as I do.
I don't know if that's right for a religious man. My mother would have been horrified.
But maybe it's not so strange when you consider that he's a Jesuit. Of course, these people are historically transgressive and even have a sense of humour, as well as dealing with concepts that in some cases differ from those of other congregations in the Church."
Ping
ping
But who is Roberto Alifano ?
historically transgressive
I'm going to have to remember that one.
I greatly esteem Borges, but I would question him if he were still around on one statement, “But maybe it’s not so strange when you consider that he’s a Jesuit. Of course, these people are historically transgressive and even have a sense of humour...” Borges is the only writer that I can recall who would claim that Jesuits have a sense of humor.
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