1. Pope Francis: Introducing His Life and Thought
St. Odilia’s Parish
13 March 2017
Fr. Jan Michael Joncas

2. JORGE BERGOGLIO: Biographical notes

3. Early Life

5. Born 17 December 1936, first-born son of Mario José Bergoglio and Regina Maria [Sivori] in the Flores section of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Baptized 25 December 1936 in the Basilica of San Carlos Borromeo by Fr. Enrique Pozzoli, a Salesian priest (viz. St. John Bosco) who eventually served as Jorge’s spiritual director

6. Brothers and sisters = Alberto Horacio, Oscar Adrian, Marta Regina, and Maria Elena
Mario spoke only Castilian Spanish to his children, but other relatives spoke the Piedmontese dialect of Italian
Grandmother Rosa was very significant in Jorge’s life for a) teaching him Catholic prayers, practices and lives of the saints; b) maintaining Italian family customs (e.g., La Befana); c) giving him a sense of social justice (e.g., in opposition to Mussolini)

7. Early Education

9. 1) San Juan Bosco school on Calle Verela, run by Salesian sisters
2) worked at Hickthier-Bachmann hosiery factory as a janitor from age 13 to 15 (7:00 AM – 1:00 PM) [also worked as a bouncer at a night club in his early 20s]
3) at age 15, entered Industrial School #12, while continuing his janitor’s job
4) at age 16, began a course in chemistry at an industrial college, Escuela Nacional de Educacion Tecnica, while continuing his janitor’s job

10. A turning point: 21 September 1953 (age 17)
At age 21, severe pneumonia leads to removal of three cysts on the upper part of his right lung and a period of recuperation (reading)
First instinct = become a diocesan priest and work in Buenos Aires (studied at the archdiocesan seminary Immaculada Concepcion in Villa Devoto for three years)
Second instinct = join the Salesians in order to work with young people
Third instinct = join the Jesuits because of their world-wide missionary outreach and their sense of order and discipline

12. Michael Joncas: “I Have Loved You”
REFRAIN: I have loved you with an everlasting love,
I have called you, and you are mine. (2X)
1. Seek the face of the Lord and long for him:
He will bring you His light and His peace.

13. REFRAIN: I have loved you with an everlasting love,
I have called you, and you are mine. (2X)
2. Seek the face of the Lord and long for him:
He will bring you His joy and His hope.

14. REFRAIN: I have loved you with an everlasting love,
I have called you, and you are mine. (2X)
3. Seek the face of the Lord and long for him:
He will bring you His care and His love.

15. Jesuit Formation and Life

17. 11 March 1958 (age 23) Jorge enters the Society of Jesus for preparatory living in Cordoba
Makes his novitiate (spirituality, 30-day retreat, Latin, Greek, history and literature) in Santiago, Chile
12 March 1960 = first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience
Sent to teach psychology and literature at two Jesuit prep shools
13 December 1969 = ordained a priest

18. Finished his seminary education and sent to Madrid for “tertianship,” a time of spiritual formation
1972 = Fr. Jorge returns to Argentina to take charge of the Jesuit novitiate at Villa Barilari in San Miguel
22 April 1973 = Fr. Jorge made permanent vows as a Jesuit and was appointed rector of the Colegio Maximo and lecturer in the Faculty of Theology
13 July 1973 = appointed for six-year term as Provincial of Argentina (15 houses, 166 priests, 32 brothers, 20 students) GREAT TURMOIL

19. 1980 = Fr. Jorge concludes his time as Provincial and becomes rector of the Colegio Maximo de San Jose, spending two months (June-July 1980) living in the Jesuit community at Milltown Park in Dublin (learns English)
1986 = concludes his rectorship and is sent to Germany to do a doctorate on Romano Guardini, but six months at the Institute of Sankt Georg in Frankfort proved inconclusive and Fr. Jorge returns to Argentina
= Fr. Jorge is appointed confessor and spiritual director to the Colegio del Salvador in Cordoba

21. Michael Joncas: “With the Lord”
1. Out of the depths I cry to you,
I cry to you, O Lord,
Lord, open your ears and hear my voice,
Attend to the sound of my call.
REFRAIN: With the Lord there is mercy
And the fullness of redemption,
Call to him in your trials,
He will answer whenever you call.

22. 2. If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Then, Lord, who could hope to survive?
But with you is found forgiveness of sin,
And mercy that we might revere you.
REFRAIN: With the Lord there is mercy
And the fullness of redemption,
Call to him in your trials,
He will answer whenever you call.

23. 3. Trust in the Lord, count on his word,
Wait for the Lord, my soul,
I will wait for the Lord all the days of my life
As sentinels wait for the dawn.
REFRAIN: With the Lord there is mercy
And the fullness of redemption,
Call to him in your trials,
He will answer whenever you call.

24. 4. More than the sentinels wait for the dawn
Let Israel wait for the Lord.
For kindness is his, redemption for all,
Forgiveness of sins for his people.
REFRAIN: With the Lord there is mercy
And the fullness of redemption,
Call to him in your trials,
He will answer whenever you call.

25. [Arch]Bishop in/of Buenos Aires

27. 27 June 1992 = Fr. Jorge ordained auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in the metropolitan cathedral
Episcopal Motto taken from Venerable Bede in a homily on Matthew: “Jesus therefore sees the tax collector and because he sees by having mercy and by choosing [miserando atque eligendo], he says to him: Follow me.”
Diocese of Buenos Aires has four zones (Flores, Devoto, Belgrano, and Centro). Bishop Jorge = episcopal vicar of Flores
21 December 1993 = vicar general of the Archdiocese

28. Tried living in a Jesuit community
Made the slum areas of the periphery [favelas] his primary focus = wealthy parishes “adopting” poor parishes
Kept small notebook with him at all times to record requests and requirements to attend to
Took the bus or the metropolitan undergound rather than have a driver

29. 1 June 1997 = Bishop Jorge becomes coadjutor to Cardinal Quarricino
28 February 1997 = Cardinal Quarricino dies and Bishop Jorge becomes Archbishop of Buenos Aires
Moves into a single-bedroom apartment close to the curial offices, furnished with his grandparents’ bed, a crucifix, a picture of Mary, Joseph and Jesus from his family and a small kitchen where he cooked for himself

30. Typical day:
Rise before 5 AM for prayer in his small chapel and study
7-8 AM: personally answers private phone line for priests
Day = appointments, visits, activities (made a snack for lunch so he wouldn’t have to take long lunch appointments)
Evening = meal, phone calls to family and friends, listening to the radio
Retire to sleep early

31. 21 February 2001 = Archbishop Jorge created a cardinal by John Paul II, assigned the titular church of St. Robert Bellarmine
Became Adjunct Relator General to the Bishops’ Synod on “The Role of the Bishop in the Third Millennium” when Cardinal Egan chose to stay in New York after the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001 [international stage]
Joins Tzedaka (Jewish charitable organization), writes and broadcasts with Rabbi Skorka, lights first Hannukah light in 2012 at Temple NCI-Emanu El in Buenos Aires, visits mosques and supports prayer service in Cathedral of prayer for peace between Catholics and Muslims [inter-faith stage]

32. Strong engagement with pentecostal and evangelical leaders, personal connections with the Orthodox, disagreed with Benedict XVI about establishing a separate Ordinariate for Anglicans/Episcopalians professing faith as Catholics [ecumenical stage]
Oversaw 5th CELAM meeting (May 2007) [regional stage]
Confronted political and economic interests in Argentina [national stage]
Functioned as “pastor to pastors,” encouraged new forms of ministry in favelas, consulted and listened [archdiocesan stage]

33. Pope Francis
15 March

34. Five Major Accomplishments
New way of evangelizing, beginning with mercy and accompaniment
Open discussion and debate within the church
New way of thinking about moral issues (rules vs. discernment)
Environmental issues raised to the level of social teaching
Reformed governance structure within the Church

36. Michael Joncas: “On Eagle’s Wings”
1. You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in his shadow for life,
Say to the Lord: “My refuge,
My Rock in whom I trust.”
REFRAIN: And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of his hand.

37. 2. The snare of the fowler will never capture you
And famine will bring you no fear:
Under his wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
REFRAIN: And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of his hand.

38. 3. You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day;
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.
REFRAIN: And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of his hand.

39. 4. For to his angels he’s given a command
To guard you in all of your ways;
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
REFRAIN: And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of his hand.