I came across an interview by Giacomo Galeazzi with Cardinal Achille Silvestrini – known to many in Malta for his prominent role in defining a Church-State agreement on Church schools in the 1980s – concerning the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. The interview was carried by Vatican insider La Stampa.it on September 1. I think its content offers much food for thought.
On Martini’s charisma, Mgr Silvestrini said: “He was able to spot hidden treasures in people, the seeds deposited in each person’s life. He was able to treat them with gentleness, help them blossom and unleash their potential, so he could support them and foster their growth. His act was not one of conceit; he was simply testifying the word of God. His loyalty to Peter’s successor was never in question.”
Silvestrini was asked whether Martini was an alternative to Joseph Ratzinger in the conclave which elected him Pope.
He replied: “Not quite. Martini was well aware that, after John Paul II’s long illness, the Church could not afford to have another ill Pope.
“In 2005, the effects of Parkinson’s disease which Martini was suffering from became apparent; hence, he could not really present himself as a candidate for the Papacy. But even after he left his position as Archbishop of Milan, he continued his ministry, becoming a reference point for so many people, even outside the Catholic community. His meeting with Benedict XVI two months ago in Milan represented the utmost gesture of paternal sharing and support. Martini knew he was nearing his deathbed and the tribute they paid to each other was his spiritual will.”
Did the media portray Martini as the anti-Pope? Silvestrini replied: “This reading is completely false and contradicted by his relentless contributions to ecclesial communion. His wisdom and sense of proportion also stood out in theological and biblical culture. Like all men of faith he was not afraid to pronounce difficult but necessary words. We will miss him. Many were surprised when, at the start of his pontificate, John Paul II assigned the all-important Archdiocese of Milan to the Biblicist Martini”.