*Originally published April 4, 2024 in La Stampa and subsequently translated and adapted into English by Worldcrunch, we republish this article in light of Pope Francis’ passing.
-Analysis-
ROME — On the day of his election as Pope Francis in 2013, the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was described as a choice that was not only unexpected, but unpredictable. And this trait of his — notably more human than pastoral — has always been the leitmotif of a pontificate full of consensus but also no shortage of conflict.
There is notable further proof of this in recent weeks. After having won praise for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, Francis stunned many in the trans community with the publication of a new Church document last week denouncing gender-affirming surgery and what it called “gender ideology.”
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The other recent occasion is the release of a book-interview in Spain in which Bergoglio does not limit himself to speaking as a pope, to reiterating his prophetic role of the pontiff in the many dramas that humanity experiences and sharing the customary and “blessed” humanitarian and pacifist mantras. His approach is also to unveil erga omnes his thoughts on the many longstanding conflicts within the Catholic Church, the internal obstacles he faces in leading Catholicism, the resistance of traditionalists, and the alleged difficult relations with the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
On the sidelines of these remarks, Jorge Mario Bergoglio also reveals — which is unprecedented for a pontiff — some background information of the conclaves he has participated in, recounting when in 2005 he decided to back Joseph Ratzinger (future Benedict XVI) to thwart the victory of the candidate favored by the Roman Curia. And finally in this new interview book, again in an anti-traditionalist vein, Pope Francis lays out the arrangements for his own funeral.
In brief, with these utterances Pope Francis enters fully into the fray of a public and ecclesiastic debate that has long seen him at the center of various criticisms for his openings toward a simpler and more inclusive Church — more mother than judge, more field hospital than entrenched in the palace.
Combative nature
Hence we have heard and seen a whole series of doubtful or negative reactions following the publication of the interview, typical of those who ask why the pope from time to time returns to internal Church conflicts by denouncing, for example, the maneuvers of cardinals who undermine to discredit him.
Why does he break taboos and the obligation of secrecy?
Observers wonder why he doesn’t take a broader look at the events of his Church, and why he breaks taboos around those parts of the institution (such as those of conclaves) that have always been shrouded in mystery and the obligation of official secrecy.
Is this, in the end, simply a question of a pope who likes to be at the center of the conversation, drawn to the screen in our video-driven times? Or is this a pontiff who on the one hand preaches mercy but on the other hand seems to show little of it toward prelates who do not share his orientations? Or is this simply a dynamic of an 87-year-old pontiff who senses his reign is winding down?
The best explanation may be that this is simply Bergoglio’s human and combative nature, the one that emerges in some circumstances. But shouldn’t that, some ask, be held in check?
Seeking clarity
Certainly the character trait has its weight, and ultimately it could not be otherwise. Perhaps Bergoglio is too extroverted, perhaps he speaks too frequently, perhaps he has too quickly distanced himself from the model of pope that has prevailed in the Church for centuries. This is no doubt a reflection of his desire to communicate with ordinary people.
But the determining factor seems detectable in the driving goal of his pontificate: to create an internal movement within the Church (a conversion) to make it more human and in dialogue with the world. With this in mind, nothing can be as it was before.
This therefore requires a choice that challenges the rigidities of tradition, reduces internal barriers, banishes palace intrigues, and makes the purpose of evangelical mission prevail over the idea of being the repository of salvation.
Those who know him well tell us that Francis wants to bring clarity to the Church, wants it to be transparent. And it is precisely this inclination that makes him stand firm against those who throw discord into ecclesiastic circles, who fuel conspiracies rather than seek convergence.
He is a pope better understood by the masses than the intelligentsia.
After all, it seems that this orientation of Francis is well understood by the faithful themselves, who these days crowd St. Peter’s Square both at the Sunday Angelus and at the Wednesday general audiences. It can perhaps be said that he is a pope better understood by the masses than the intelligentsia.
What we ultimately have before us is not just a pope but a man who is a pope. This brings a new humanity (not without the limitations of us all) that is a reminder of something truly great.
