Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti’s book El Jesuita, sub-titled Conversations with Cardinal Jeorges Bergoglio, SJ.The shop windows of leading bookstores are stacked with books written on or by Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Bishop of Rome. The hagiographers have also produced instant books to be given with some national newspapers or magazine like Famiglia Cristiana. Anything, even letters written in German to his host family when he went for studies, will soon be on the market.
From all these books so far I have read only two. One is Papa Francesco, in its original title El Jesuita , with a sub-title Il Nuovo Papa si Racconta (Salani Editore). It’s a very lively, interesting and open dialogue with two journalists Sergio Rubin of Santa Fe and Francesca Ambrogetti of Rome.
The other book is called Il Cielo e la Terra (Mondadori, Milano). This is a very much deeper, thought-provoking conversation on various religious, social and ethical topics between Cardinal Bergoglio and a well-known Jewish rabbi Prof. Abraham Skorka. The conversation is very much based on interesting reflections on the Bible and the Talmud. In most intances, it draws the differences and the similarities between the Catholic and the Jewish faith with a very open mind on both sides.
All those who wish to read the heart and mind of Cardinal Bergoglio will find much food for thought in both books
All those who wish to read the heart and mind of Cardinal Bergoglio on some current and controversial issues will find much food for thought in both publications. On some matters, he comes out as rather liberal and progressive, but one wonders if now as Pope he will still dwell on these ideas.
It is rather difficult to know the mind and heart of a Jesuit, but all these books bear his name now that he is a Bishop of Rome, who came “from the end of the world”.
Whatever he said and will say is destined to leave a deep imprint in the history of the Church and of contemporary society. It seems that every day he is making history through his humanity, simplicity, humility and love towards all alike, more like a pastor reaching out to his lost sheep than to the figure of a majestic Pope to which we have been so much used. His kissing of the disabled American boy made the rounds.
In these two books he is very much in the spirit of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman, whose style was “a heart speaking to a heart”. It seems that Francis always opens wide his heart when he gives a homily. He even tells us about his past experiences in his pastoral work, about his nonna, his feelings, and above all, he always asks us to pray for him because he is a sinner. He is in every sense a pastore, and as he told the priests he too “smells of sheep”.
I have known six popes, but I have never heard such testimony. The two journalists wrote:
“Whoever knows Bergoglio is aware that he is not a personality who wants to show himself off, like those who seek success in television programmes. Nor is he a great bombastic orator. Before becoming an auxiliary bishop in 1992, he was a perfect outsider of the Church, as he never sought to make a career.”
Speaking about Cardinal Bergoglio, Rabbi Skorka said that he shared “in a fraternal manner (as after) many years of close friendship”, adding that “in every sense he is a people’s priest, like Diana was a people’s princess or Mother Teresa the ‘mother of the poor’.”
He was born in a rather poor area, he grew among the poor and this is why he cannot forget the poor. There was hardly any need in the conclave when he was elected to the See of Peter for his Brazilian friend Cardinal Cláudio Hummes to tell him: “Don’t forget the poor.” However, those words triggered the name Francesco.
He was, and it seems still is, as I am sure his Gozitan secrtary Mgr Alfred Xuereb may tell us one day, very accessible to all alike. We read in the book that: “As bishop he had a direct telephone line so any priest could call him directly about any problem.” This reminds us that even the saintly Cardinal Basil Hume, when Archbishop of Westminster, had a special hotline for late-night calls from his priests. This, alas, is not always the case.
More than once, Bishop Francesco spoke on novità and that we have to “get used to new things”. He is not only the new Pope, but his words and gestures are also new to the Catholic world. He does not want to be closed behind the Vatican walls, but he wants to go out to his ‘flock’. Often I have heard it said, even by some non-believers: “Si sente come uno di noi” (One feels he is one of us).
With his famous “Buona sera” from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, he not only entered in the homes, but also in the hearts of millions of people. He soon became a global Pope.
The Italian rock star Jovanotti has been singing his praise because with that greeting he won his heart. This is why I hope Francesco will continue to speak to the hearts, and this is the language people understand. In the past they have had plenty of theology and doctrine.
Francesco does not want to live in the spacious papal apartments; he does not want a butler, nor a group of nuns to look after him, nor the Cadillac with the number plate SCV, or all the trimmings that go with papalotry.
He insisted to keep his simple iron cross, his plain mitre and vestments, doing away with gold-embroidered vestments, gold ring and cross.
The only thing he asked was to use for his entry in his cathedral of St John Lateran the cross used by Pope Paul VI, which is the symbol of the Vatican Council.
I am sure, as we can read from these two books, we will see more changes not just in the Curia, but in the Church. Many are expecting a radical change in the Vatican Bank (IOR), which has created many headaches for recent Popes.
As a Jesuit he is well trained in discernment (of St Ignatius), as we see from his experiences in these books. This is very evident on various issues he discussed with the journalists.
He too had doubts on God’s existence, on the presence of the devil and on celibacy. He also speaks with great clarity on abortion, marriage, divorce, corruption in politics, on poverty, on gay marriages, and also on the hard times Argentina faced during the dictatorship years.
His approach reminds me very much of the beloved Jesuit Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, with whom he was very close, and both had received some votes in the conclave which elected Joseph Ratzinger. Both are men of deep empathy, very authentic, open and having the courage to believe that “the Church needs always reform”. They are twin spiritual souls.
It was Martini who, in his last interview, which is more of a spiritual testament, said that certain trimmings of vestments need to be done away with.
To be concluded.