Ten years ago, when they were elected Pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio and for the first time we saw his image, almost bewildered, leaning towards St. Peter’s Square, I wrote a few letters to this newspaper and quoted an idea at length there. chesterton“Jesus Christ founded the Church in Peter, the first pope not because he was the best, wisest, or holiest of the apostles, but simply because he was a normal man, with his bag of faults, flaws, sins, and also successes”. Although we are about to begin a biographical study of a priest we know little about, it made sense to me to begin a biographical study of a priest, who was not exactly a centrist, but ideologically, as I suggested at the time, and as the few sketches of his personality that we have occasionally published by a Vatican member during the meeting show. Contradictory information about him soon began to come from Argentina: some disturbing accusations, such as the Argentine journalist Horacio Verbitsky’s claim that Bergoglio was complicit with the last Argentine dictatorship, while others are clearly surprising. It is the progressive wing of the Martini (and hence the Church’s) patroness. candidate) and vice versa: that Martini and Jesuits did not trust him. That his relationship with O. Company had been strained for years was something that his official biographer, Austen Ivereigh, did not deny in his magnificent (and early) book, The Great Reformer, which had already revealed some of the blind spots in the new pope’s personality. and he was right to set the renewal agenda. But still doubts remained. Is he a reformer along the lines of the Second Vatican Council, as Ivereigh suggests, or a populist conservative in the style of Peronism? Did he secretly admire Liberation Theology or persecute it in Argentina when the Jesuits were provincials? What did he really think about power? And about the Church?
We know much more ten years later, but the enigma of Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, still remains. His influence on Catholicism, which has become a global figure somewhat reminiscent of John Paul II, seems to look more into the future than the present. Lacking a grand theological discourse of his own, Francis initiates dynamics that he doesn’t know—or doesn’t want—to close, and constantly leaves doors ajar (or, as he chooses, ajar). For some it is progressing too slowly – this seems to be the view of the German Parliament – and for others the pace of reforms is excessively fast. Traditionalists criticize her for her authoritarian attitude towards the Latin Mass, while feminists criticize her for disapproving of the female priesthood (or at least the female deacon in the first place). For some, cardinal choices are chaotic and unpredictable; For others, myself included, the new Cardinals College will be their most lasting legacy. Because when his will comes to an end (in a predictable few years), there will be no statements, no reforms, big and small, no contradictions, no gestures; number and geographic origin – where the conclave lived during these years, and its successor will appear.
Source: Informacion
Dolores Johnson is a voice of reason at “Social Bites”. As an opinion writer, she provides her readers with insightful commentary on the most pressing issues of the day. With her well-informed perspectives and clear writing style, Dolores helps readers navigate the complex world of news and politics, providing a balanced and thoughtful view on the most important topics of the moment.