Review:
The new book, Francis, by Andrea Tornielli, describes
Francis as “the Pope of a New World.” This book provides details of Francis’
pastoring style in Argentina where he consistently embraced the poor and the
marginalized and served people in their need. He has brought that style to the
papacy. His heart for Jesus Christ, and for the Church universal, is a model
for all Christians. The book is obviously written from a Catholic perspective,
but Jesus prayed that the world would know we are Christians (Catholic,
Protestant, Greek Orthodox), by our love for one another. As an Evangelical, I
want to honor the Spirit that emanates from Pope Francis and be part of the
Church universal that prays for his role in the world. This book will help
people understand the changes he is bringing and the heart of the man. He is a model of Jesus for our time in
a role of unique power and influence.
ML Codman-Wilson, Ph. D., 1/31/14
Excerpts:
Why the name:
The Pope himself explained
the choice of his name: “After my election a dear, dear friend said to me, ‘Do
not forget the poor.’ That word stuck, the poor, the poor, then immediately in
relation to the poor I thought of Francis of Assisi...For me, he is the man of
poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and safeguards Creation. In this
moment, our relation with Creation is not good – right? He is the man who gives
us a spirit of peace…Oh how I wish for a Church that is poor and for the poor” (pp. 66-67).
Why a priest:
“A religious vocation…is a
call from God to a heart that is waiting for it, consciously or unconsciously.
I have always been impressed by the gospel passage where we read that Jesus
looked at Matthew with an attitude that, translated, could be rendered as offering
him mercy and choosing him. This is exactly the way I felt. God was looking at
me during that confession,” the confession at the start of his decision to
become a priest (p. 88).
His Pastoring Approach in Argentina:
“As Bergoglio became Shepherd
of the Diocese of Buenos Aires, he installed a direct telephone so that his
priests could call him at any hour of the day if they had a problem. There must
not be any barriers, secretaries, filters. The bishop was available for his
clergy at any moment. Bergoglio continued to spend nights in the parish, he
personally assisted a sick priest, spending hours in the hospital at his bed
side. At first, he refused to go live in the elegant archbishop’s residence in
Olivos…Then he took only a modest bedroom in the palace. He still liked to cook
for his guests. Washing dishes was no problem for him…He continued to respond
personally to all telephone calls, to arrange personally his own schedule of appointments.
He did not have his own secretary but employed various co-workers and a few
nuns. He continued to travel by bus – which he preferred because from the bus
you can see the people along the street – or by subway. The inhabitants of the Argentine
capitol learned to recognize him and get to know him. He dressed simply” (p. 112-113).
“When Bergoglio became
archbishop in Buenos Aires there were, all told, only six curas villeros, that is, priests who go to live in the notorious
districts and devote themselves to the people of the shanty-towns. Now there
are twenty four of us,” says Padre Facundo, “because he supports us personally
and comes to work in the middle of the streets with us. He celebrates Masses
for the prostitutes in the Plaza Constitucion, visits the AIDS patients, and
also keeps in contact with the families of the desaparecidos, always hoping that at least the Truth will set us
free” (p. 133).
His Changes from the beginning of his Papacy:
“Francis’ first Papal Mass
already signaled the change that is taking place. The new Pope did not put on
the precious and increasingly tall gold-embroidered miters that had reappeared
in recent years among papal vestments. He used the simple one made of cloth, the
same one that appears in so many images of his Masses with the most abandoned
people in the villas miserias, the
shanty towns of Buenos Aires…He decided not to wear the red mozzetta lined with
ermine or any vestments ornamented with lace” (p. 136).
“When he was first presented
as the new Pope, he invited the people to pray with him for ‘our bishop emeritus,
Benedict the XVI’...Then together with the people he recited the Our Father,
the Hail Mary and the Glory Be…It was the moment for the blessing…He asked the
people to pray for God’s blessing on him, their new bishop. It was an entirely
new and unheard of request which sees laity as playing a leading role,…’Let us
make in silence this prayer, your prayer over me.’ Francis bowed his head, then
spoke again and said, “Now I will give the Blessing to you and to the whole
world, to all men and women of good will” (pp.
12-13). “There was suspense about what
the new Pope would say. Traditionally, the Secretariat of State prepares in
advance the rough draft of the speech for this first papal homily…Pope
Bergoglio chose to do it differently. He decided not to take into consideration
the prepared discourse which according to tradition was in Latin. He preached
off the cuff…Recalling the first instructions given to Abraham by God, ‘walk in
my presence and live blamelessly,’ he invited his listeners to walk in the
presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live in the
blamelessness that God asked of Abraham,…words addressed first of all to the
Cardinals, to the Roman Curia, to all the faithful” (pp.136-137).
“Having left the apostolic
palace, the Pope found himself in front of the big black car with the license
plate SCV1 (Vatican City State #1) but Francis did not take it. ‘I’ll get on
the bus with the cardinals.’ He would do the same the following morning to
return to the Sistine chapel to concelebrate Mass with the purple robed prelates”
(p.14).
“The evening of his election,
he had tried to speak with the director of…the house for clergy…where he
usually resided during his visits to the capitol and where he had stayed for
the two weeks before the conclave. On the days of the General Congregations, he
always went on foot both to and from. The Pope notified the director that he
would come by to pick up his luggage and the personal effects and to pay the
bill. And so it was…Then he decided to go up to the room personally to collect
his things and he packed his suitcase himself as he was accustomed to doing, incidentally,
on every trip. Because Jorge Mario Bergoglio was always a bishop without a secretary.
The Pope who refuses the big Sudan and the retinue, who prefers to ride with
his ‘brother cardinals,’ who does not let anyone put ermine trimmed garments on
him, who does not think that he has risen to such a height as to prevent him from
packing his bags himself and demanding to pay his bills at the clergy house
like any other guest. So many little major signs. Today’s world requires the
church to witness to the gospel more by her life than by her words” (pp. 16-17).
The New Pope’s Main Themes:
“We can build many things.
But if we do not profess Jesus Christ, things go wrong…We might become a
charitable NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of the Lord…The key to charity is
not humanitarian aid…Evangelization is the most important work of charity…When
we journey without the cross, when we build without the cross, when we profess
Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord, we are worldly: we
may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes but not disciples of the Lord…Christ
remains the center, not the Successor of Peter…Christ is the center…without him
Peter and the Church would not exist or have reason to exist” (pp. 137-139, 143).
“’God never tires of
welcoming and forgiving if only we acknowledge that we are in need of his
forgiveness.’ The simple profound words of Pope Francis are a breath of fresh
air for so many. Precisely because they present the face of a church that does
not rebuke people for their frailties and their wounds but cares for them with
the medicine of mercy…God’s face is the face of a merciful Father who is always
patient,” Francis said. Immediately,
it was obvious that the message of mercy would be central in his pontificate. “Mercy
changes the world, makes it less cold and more just. This mercy is not a sentiment
but a Person” (pp. 146-148).
“This is the program of his
pontificate: “to serve,” humbly returning to the essentials, so as to
communicate the message of the mercy of a God who sacrificed himself on a cross.
To serve concretely. And then “to protect,” opening his arms, tenderly
welcoming all of mankind. Especially the poor, the lonely, the weak…To protect
every man and every women, to look upon them with tenderness of love is to open
up a horizon of hope. It is to let a shaft of light break through the dark
clouds”. Many, many people
throughout the world recognize this look of tenderness and mercy on the face of
the new Pope(pp. 150, 152).
The Pope’s Relationship with Evangelicals:
“Luis Palau, one of the world
leaders of Evangelical Christians, has told stories of his friendship with
Bergoglio:
“When
you are with Bergoglio, you have the impression that he knows God the Father
personally…The way he prays, the way he talks to the Lord, is that of a man who
knows Jesus Christ and is very spiritually intimate with the Lord. It’s not an
effort for him to pray…I think we will witness a papacy that will alleviate
tensions. That does not mean that we will be in agreement about everything – that
must be said immediately. He is the Pope of the Church of Rome and there are
questions on which we must confront one another and pray. Look for answers in
the Bible…There are doctrinal differences, but when there is an attitude of
mutual openness and listening to God, if it is taken seriously, then light
comes from the Lord…In his term over and over as a cardinal in Argentina, that
there was more building bridges and showing respect, knowing the differences
but still focusing on what we can agree on: on the divinity of Jesus, his
virgin birth, his resurrection, the second coming. I can trust Him,” Palau
explained, “because we spend hours together reading the Bible and praying and
drinking mate, Argentine green tea” (pp.
163-164).