Pope Francis: A Brighter Portrait [Update]

Update:  according to what we’ve heard from the Argentine journalist at Rorate Caeli, the Immemorial Masses offered within the vicinity of Buenos Aires, in fact, one close to the city center, another 20 miles away and the third within 60 miles, but none of them are within the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires itself.

When individual priests attempted to offer the Immemorial Mass, in this very conservative Archdiocese, they were ordered to stop.

We still don’t know what to make of the Society of the Good Pastor’s alleged presence in the Diocese

At any rate, it’s indisputable that when he was the ordinary, he not only didn’t promote the Traditional Mass, he thwarted it, against the spirit of the legislation, and it could be said in a spirit of disobedience to the wishes of the Holy Father and the legislation of Summoroum Pontificum.

Edit: this is a bit of an overwhelmingly positive look at the new Pope, with some cautionary notes.  It’s interesting to note that despite a local Argentine journalist’s description of the new Pope as a man who did not implement Summorum Pontificum,  the new pope has, in fact, several locations, far more than most cities in North America, including the Society of the Good Shepherd.  Not only that, but he appears to have been a bit of a cold warrior, and is going to face some nasty reprisals against the Leftist press for his involvement.  Hopefully the links on all the locations will still work.  Each cross marks a Mass location in and around Buenos Aires.:

Ver Misa Tradicional Summorun Pontificum en Argentina. en un mapa ampliado

Buenos Aires is a city with almost three million inhabitants.  It has four Latin Mass locations within the city limits and reasonable driving distance.  It looks like two of them offer Mass daily, according to the map above, while one offers it at 12 on Sundays.  Further to the south at the Air Force base, Mass is offered only once a month.  You can click and drag around the window to look inside them.   It will be easier to look around if you access it directly on google.

(Vatican)The conclave brought a big surprise. What is surprising is the choice of the Argentine, Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio. The Archbishop of Buenos Aires is the first non-European, [St. Gregory III?]  the first Hispanic, the first Jesuit, on the See of the Prince of the Apostles Peter.  Surprisingly, he is also the first to take the name Francis, which he has chosen as pope. Although he is a Jesuit, the recent descendant of Italian immigrants, he is close to the new Community Communion and Liberation (CL) of Giussani. From the ranks of this community comes Milan's Archbishop Angelo Cardinal Scola who was actually considered "papabile”. Bergoglio is only one and a half years younger than Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was when he was elected as pope in 2005. Contrary to expectations, the College of Cardinals would set clear signals that needs to be read, but no long pontificate, as had been adopted previously. On the 17th of December,  Pope Francis I ail be 77 years old.

The choice of name inevitably points to the "poverello", the “little poor one",  St. Francis of Assisi. No pope has previously held the name. One name says it all. Cardinal Bergoglio forbade the Argentine faithful who wanted to accompany him to the joy of his elevation to cardinal in Rome, to make the journey. [Forget about any of the spiritual benefits pilgrims would receive for their sacrifices and good intentions.] He asked them to donate the money to charity. Appointments to the Roman Curia were refused by the Jesuit. He traveled to Rome only when it was absolutely necessary.

Francis, however, was not just the stereotype, which is known today about him, but in addition to his evangelical poverty, he is an especially staunch defender of God and an indefatigable son of Holy Church. This at a time when there were many sectarian currents outside the Church and many believers joined these groups because of their dissatisfaction with the church.  St. Francis opposed them by offering an equally authentic counter model. Which included also, if necessary, to suffer emergencies in the Church,  from what did not correspond to Her real nature in this time by human weakness and ignorance.

The new pope was also the Bishop for Eastern Christians in Argentina. He has not celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, since the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. The implementation of the motu proprio in the archdiocese was "rather lukewarm," writes Messa in Latino. The Remnant said that not much is known about his disposition to the traditional rite in a preliminary report. In his archdiocese there is a branch of the Old Ritual Institut du Bon Pasteur. He also was, however, so far, among others in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.  As for questions in the Church's moral teachings and ecclesiastical discipline, he is considered to be like Pope Benedict XVI.. To legalize the killing of unborn children, the Cardinal said: In Argentina, "there is the death penalty." He turned and decided, without success, against the legalization of gay marriage by the Argentine government. [In one of the most Catholic countries in the New World.]

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, a Jesuit like the new pope said in an initial statement that Francis is a Pope who will show a "style of simplicity and evangelical witness" and also a "continuity with Benedict XVI."

On fiscal policies he may be expected to criticize the excesses of capitalism. Bergoglio, although no Franciscans may be considered  as a Franciscan in his manner of living. He has neither a driver nor a stylish sedan. In Buenos Aires, he used a lot of public transport. In the conclave of 2005, he was as the “rival" of Benedict XVI. said to have tearfully asked the cardinals in the conclave not to choose him, but Joseph Ratzinger. His opponent is now to succeed. The pendulum has swung in the other side? Among the human vices he finds particularly offensive is careerism, especially in the church.

In the short speech to the assembled crowd at St. Peter's, he said, both in relation to his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. and of himself as "bishop."  Francis clearly addressed his diocese as Bishop of Rome. How this will affect his understanding of the papacy, must be seen. What role will the collegiality on which was in the General Congregations much emphasis?

In 1973 to 1980 Bergolio was the Argentine Superior of the Province of Argentina of the Jesuit Order, and then vigorously opposed the Marxist liberation theology. Not least because of his resistance to some Marxist-inspired confreres and the resulting conflicts, he was transferred. [He fought with the good guys] In 1986 he received his doctorate in Germany, which is why he learned, alongside Spanish and Italian, very good German as well. Subsequently, he served as spiritual director and confessor at the Jesuit church of Cordoba. In 1992 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires by John Paul II.  In 1997 he was appointed Coadjutor, and he succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarrancino by the Office of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. By 2011 he was also Chairman of the Argentine Episcopal Conference.

In the General Congregations prior to the Conclave for the new pope, he spoke especially about the mercy of God and the joy of the faith. In Argentina it is the priest, acting in the slums, who are his favorites. Without Deviations of the Doctrine of the Faith he was trying to win all, even the most feeble, for Christ. The Church, said then Cardinal Bergoglio,  must "always reflect the merciful face of God."