One week ago, Francis Robert Prevost was elected by the Sacred College to succeed Francis, Benedict XVI, and Peter himself on the episcopal chair of Rome – the prima sedes that (at least in theory) a nemine iudicatur.
At the time, very few people had any idea who he was, though some had been keeping an eye on his profile among the ranks of the Cardinals. It took only a few moments, however, for everyone – Catholics and especially non-Catholics – to become instant experts on the “Leonine pontificate”, quickly taking sides either pro vel contra the new Pope.
Which, in itself, already betrays a deep misunderstanding of the Petrine office – that is, the reason why the Church’s Founder wanted it to have a πρῶτος: cum Petro (and sub Petro), one stands with the office itself, regardless of the man who is temporarily called to serve (and interpret) it.
On top of this, with every papal transition, old factions must realign with new positions. These may be shaped by emotional, spiritual, or intellectual affinities, but they ultimately have much more to do with political strategy.
So, in these very recent days, some of the more radical “Bergoglians” (often, ironically, at odds with Francis’s actual magisterium – which they hoped would be more “daring”) are now doing mental gymnastics to stay in the good graces of the reigning Pontiff. Conversely, some of Pope Francis’s fiercest critics – who at times even rejected the legitimacy of his election – are now displaying a kind of haughty revanchism, reading into every word or gesture of Leo XIV an alleged contradiction with both the persona and the magisterium of Francis.
Among the more tantalizing pieces of “evidence” to surface is a video from March 15, 2023 — about which Barbara Sgorbati has written some thoughtful and insightful commentary. With her permission (and in hopes of prompting some reflection), we’re sharing it here:
Now everyone is going to post the video in which the future Pope Leo XIV says that – since he had not always agreed with then-Cardinal Bergoglio – he did not think that the latter, once elected Pope, would ever make him a bishop; however, he actually made him a bishop (and then also a Cardinal and later appointed him to the office that selects bishops).
I understand that the video is juicy and lends itself to pointing out a discontinuity with the predecessor, both in anti-Francis and anti-Leo terms.
But in my opinion it shows other interesting – and far from “negative” – things:
1) that Pope Francis was able to distinguish between the commonality of views and the value of a person, and thus to appoint as bishop (and then cardinal and prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops) someone with whom Jorge Mario Bergoglio did not necessarily get along very well all the time;
2) that Robert Francis Prevost was not one of those fellows who are keen to show that they’ve always had perfect identity of views with their superiors;
3) that the latter was capable of admitting that he thought Cardinal Bergoglio to be less generous than Pope Francis later revealed himself to be (and indeed – by saying so – he was willing to let his audience know this and, perhaps, to make amends for a not-so-charitable thought).
So, well, the way I see it, if you are posting it to make one or the other look bad, I don’t think it works so well.
Di’ cosa ne pensi