The presence of Pope Francis was the equivalent of an earthquake whose effect could be felt throughout the entire country, in each social group. There was not a single person unaware of the echo of his words or the devastating social content of his messages. I do not practice any religion, but you do not have to in order to appreciate the great contribution the pope made to our country, which was much needed inspiration and solidarity.
Pope Francis confirms the deepness of Jesuit thought and brings honor to the intellectuals of the church, a characteristic of this order.
Out of all of his events, two stick with me: his visit to Chiapas, where he asked forgiveness from indigenous people from various different ethnicities and where his shock about the conditions during their lives in the 21st century was evident. Argentina does not have representative indigenous groups, which surely contributed to his emotion. Without a doubt, he came prepared for the event, but maybe the reality surpassed his expectations.
The second was the meeting with bishops in the Cathedral with the vain “Princes” of the church, the arrogant aristocrats and friends from the most high-class evening parties. There are some honorary exceptions, but few. The speech did not stray off topic.
He urged them to get off their high horse and open their eyes to the reality beyond the glitz and glamour. He asked them to forget their position as princes and to return to their role as servants of the parish, anxious for solace. The event reached its climax when he told them to fight “like men” if necessary.
It was a show to see the faces of stupor of the religious leaders, who are ignorant of their flock, distant and affected by their luxuries and privileges.
As I said, Francis was an earthquake whose effects only just began.
rularle@yahoo.com