Posted On 2013-06-19 In Francis - Initiatives and Gestures

“Explain what you need to explain, but carry on…open doors, do something in the places where life cries out.”

ROMA, mda. Who is this Bergoglio who speaks so simply and naturally that everyone can understand him? Who is this Francis who sits among a group of people and speaks frankly and honestly and is not afraid of the truth, and refers to the Holy Spirit as his most obvious ally? “We need to allow ourselves to be guided by Him, even if He takes us along unchartered paths; we need to be transformed by Him so that our message is always the Word, accompanied by real life; a spirit of prayer; charity to all, especially children and the poor; humility; selflessness and a holy life.” A few days ago, during a meeting with the heads of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious Men and Women (CLAR), Pope Francis spoke frankly and clearly – in full harmony with the content of his sermons and audiences.  He speaks about renewal, prophecy, humility.  He speaks to the people of God.  He speaks to us.

Below is an article published by Reflexión y Libertad [Reflection and Freedom] in Chile and Religión Digital [Digital Religion] in Spain.

 

It was a historical and unprecedented meeting.  Because of what was said and how it was said. For an hour, Pope Francis conversed frankly with the heads of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious Men and Women. It was a conversation that took place in a circle, among equals, like the first communities founded by Jesus…and the Pope spoke honestly: he spoke about corruption within the Vatican Curia, where “there are holy people, but there is also a current of corruption, that is also there, it is true…there is talk of a ‘gay lobby,’ and it is true, it is there.”

He also called for freedom of religious life – “explain what you need to explain, but carry on.” He expressed his concern for “certain restorationist groups,” and defended the spirit of Aparecida: “Aparecida hasn’t ended. Aparecida isn’t just a document.  It was an event.”

Audience with Pope Francis

 

Open the doors…Open the doors!

You’ll make mistakes, you will put your foot in it.  These things happen.  Perhaps you’ll receive a letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, saying that you said this that…But don’t worry.  Explain what you need to explain but carry on…Open the doors, do something in the places where life cries out.  I prefer a Church that errs because it did something than one that is ill because it has remained closed….

-(on his election) You know, I didn’t lose my peace at any time? That’s not like me.  I am someone who worries, who becomes nervous.  But I didn’t lose my peace at any time.  For me, it was a confirmation that this was from God…

– (reflecting on the hope that his actions have brought us, references to having continued to live in St. Martha’s House) … these actions…they didn’t come from me.  They wouldn’t have occurred to me. It’s not like I came with a plan, or that I made one when I was elected.  I did it because I felt that it was what the Lord wanted.  But these actions aren’t mine, there’s Someone else here…this gives me confidence…
I came with just enough clothes, which I washed at night, and suddenly this…Yes, I didn’t even stand a chance! Speculators in London put me in 44th place, imagine that, whoever betted on me obviously won a lot of money!  This doesn’t come from me…

– We have to change our thinking.  It is not news if an elderly person dies from the cold in Via Ottaviano, or that so many children lack education or go hungry, I am thinking of Argentina…In contrast, if the main stock markets of the world rise or drop by three points this is a world event.  It cannot be this way.  Computers are not made in the image and likeness of God: they are an instrument, yes, but nothing more.  Money is not the image and likeness of God. Only the human person is made in the image and likeness of God.  We have to change this.  This is the gospel.

– We must address the causes, go down to the root of it.  Abortion is evil, that is clear.  But what lies behind the approval of legislation, what are the underlying interests?  Sometimes conditions prompt large companies to give their monetary support, are you aware of this? We have to look at the causes, we cannot just look at the symptoms.  Do not be afraid to speak out…you’ll experience difficulties, you’ll have problems, but do not be afraid to speak out, this is the prophecy of religious life…

– I want to share my concerns with you.  We are seeing Pelagian current in the Church right now. There are several restorationist groups.  I know some of them and met them in Buenos Aires.  It makes one feel that we have gone back 60 years! Before the Council.  It feels as if we are in 1940…here’s a little anecdote as an illustration, don’t laugh, I received it respectfully, but it worries me.  When I was elected, I received a letter from a group that told me: “Your Holiness, we offer you this spiritual treasure – 3,525 rosaries.”  Why didn’t they say, we’re praying for you…but this business of setting up a tally…These groups have returned to practices and disciplines that I lived through, you didn’t, because you aren’t old enough, to disciplines, to things that were practiced then, but are no longer part of our experience…

The second is a gnostic current.  These pantheisms…Both of these are currents among the elite, particularly the educated elite…I learned of a general superior who encouraged the sisters in her congregation not to pray in the mornings without first spiritually cleansing the cosmos, things like that…These things worry me because they forget the Incarnation! The Son of God became flesh like us, the Word became flesh and in Latin America we more than enough meat [play of the word ‘flesh’]!  What about the poor, those who suffer, those who are flesh like us…

The Gospels aren’t old-fashioned, but they are also not this pantheism.  If you look at the peripheries — at the destitute, drug addicts.  The Gospels speak about people.  The poor are the Gospel…

– (reflecting on the difficulty of taking charge of the Roman Curia and the commission of cardinals who will support him, etc)  And, yes, it is difficult.  There are holy people in the Curia, truly, there are holy people.  But there is also a wave of corruption that also exists, it is true…There is talk of a ‘gay lobby’ and it is true, it is there…we have to see what we can do…

The reform to the Roman Curia is something that most of the cardinals asked for in the meetings prior to the Conclave.  I also asked for it.  I cannot carry out the reform, these management issues …I’m very disorganized, I’ve never been good at this.  But the cardinals in the commission will take this forward.  Rodríguez Maradiaga, a Latin American, is there and he is taking the lead.  There is also Errázuriz, they are very organized.  The one from Munich is also very organized.  They will take this forward.

– Pray for me…that I make as few mistakes as possible…

– Aparecida [5th General Conference of the Latin American Bishops’ Conference, held in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007] hasn’t ended. Aparecida isn’t just a document.  It was an event. Aparecida was something unique.  Starting with the fact that there was no working document.  There were contributions, but no document.  And at the end, there was also no document, because on the penultimate day we had 2,300 ‘notes’….Aparecida gave rise to a continental mission.  That is where Aparecida ended, as a missionary impulse.

What was special about Aparecida is that it wasn’t held in a hotel or a place of retreat…it took place in a Marian Shrine.  During the week when we celebrated the Eucharist, there were about 250 people because it was a normal working day.  But on the weekends it was packed!  The people of God accompanied the bishops in prayer to the Holy Spirit…

I saw — I’m pointing him out because he seemed to be the most haughty, very much like this, he is good, but this is how he is — I saw the Prefect João Braz de Avis, who emerged with his mitre and people approached him, children drew closer to him and he greeted them and hugged them like this…this same bishop would then vote.  He wouldn’t have voted the same way if he’d been in a hotel!

Our meeting rooms were below the Shrine.  The background music were the songs, the celebrations inside the Shrine…this gave rise to something very special.

– There is something that worries me, even though I don’t know how to read it.  There are religious congregations, very, very small groups, a few people, much older people…They don’t have vocations, what I do know is that that Holy Spirit doesn’t want them to go on.  Perhaps they have accomplished their mission in the Church, I don’t know…but they are there, clinging to their buildings, clinging to money…I don’t know why this happens, I don’t know how to interpret this.  But I ask you to worry about these groups.  The administration of money…that is something that needs reflection.

– Take advantage of this time in the Congregation for Consecrated Life…it is a moment in the sun.  Make the most of it.  The Prefect is good, as well as the Secretary whom you ‘lobbied’! No, truly, as the USG [Union of Superior Generals] president, it makes sense that it would be him! Nothing better…

Make every effort to enter into dialogue with the bishops.  With the CELAM [Latin American Bishops’ Conference], with the national conferences…I know that some have a different understanding of communion, but…speak, talk with them, tell them…

Source: Religión Digital, Spain/ Reflexión y Libertad, Chile. Authorised by the editors.

Translated by: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa

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