The legacy of Benedict and Francis first days

Someone told me that the February 11, 2013 would be one of those dates that we
will always remember asking, Where were you when Where were you when you
heard that Pope Benedict had resigned? We all remember where we were or who
told us. It was one of those pieces of news that we dont believe at first, thinking
that its some kind of practical joke. Only afterwards do we start to accept the news
and consider its meaning seriously.
Looking back, theres no doubt that Benedicts resignation was a valiant gesture, a
gesture which was meditated upon for hours in prayer, which arose from his great
love for the Church and his deep sense of responsibility, a gesture made with faith
and trust in the Lord who guides the Church. He himself explained his decision to
the faithful in his last audience: Loving the Church means also having the courage
to make difficult, painful decisions, always looking to the good of the Church and not
of oneself.
Because of its rarity and unexpectedness, this gesture was a instant sensation in
the media. With all of the speculation and social chatter, it was difficult to make
silence and reflect. Looking at it today, and in the light of Benedicts entire
pontificate, I think it was a gesture that could only come from a man like him. His
entire life was a testimony of faithfulness to the truth. He wasnt afraid of the truth
and he taught us not to be afraid of it either. This faithfulness to the truth, as well as
the honesty that results from it, were key elements in that crucial decision-making
moment which has few precedents in the history of the Church.
Pope Benedict left us a very rich pontificate; his heritage will be remembered in
history. I would dare to say that, even though an important part of his legacy is his
brilliant magisterium speeches, documents, homilies full of rich teachings his
principal contribution comes from his pure faith in Jesus Christ which, considering
his high intellectual level, had its own particular characteristics. With his humility
and honesty he was a great witness of the truth in our times. This attitude was seen
especially when he spoke in front of tough audiences like the assembly of the
United Nations, the German Parliament in Berlin, or the British Parliament in London.
The speeches he gave on these types of occasions will remain in history along with
the many teachings of his magisterium that will continue to illuminate us for many
years to come in the evangelization of our world. These teachings are impacting
due to their style and this honesty and humility that weve already mentioned. He
presented the faith with clarity; he didnt speak with the pride of someone who
believes himself to be the owner of the truth, but rather with the humility of a
witness who has been conquered by the Truth and with all his strength has given
himself to the service of Him.
Another important point is that his pontificate, along with that of Blessed John Paul
II, has been fundamental for understanding the path which the Church should follow
in order to live and apply the renovation in continuity that the Second Vatican
Council stressed. Pope Benedict understood the Council in a profound way and

offered his crucial contribution as he pursued the path of a correct hermeneutic for
the meaning of this significant event in the life of the Church.
During the days of the general Congregations of the Cardinals and the Conclave, the
impact of innumerable speculations from reporters about what was happening was
remarkably strong in Rome. As a result, the faithful felt a certain anxiety and worry.
What does the future hold for us? Even trusting that the Lord always cares for His
Church, it was a tense moment and the prayers of petition to the Lord were
insistent. I would like to give my own testimony of what I experienced participating
in the Pro eligendo Romano Pontifice mass which was celebrated in St. Peters the
morning of Tuesday, March 12th. This mass marked the beginning of the conclave;
the votes began that afternoon. I participated with some of my colleagues from the
dicastery where I work, the Pontifical Council for the Laity. We prayed intensely for
the cardinals openness to the Spirit and thought about the weight that they must
be feeling on their backs Upon leaving the mass we were able to greet some of
the cardinals that were present, and I was particularly impacted by something: their
faces, their gazes, the peace that they conveyed werent of those in the middle of
intense battles for power or to make their own party or opinion prevailrather they
reflected the serenity of those who, even if they know they have a big task and
responsibility ahead of them, before God they are serene and ready to act according
to their consciences. The prayer of the Church was sustaining them. The cardinals
that I encountered gave witness to the fact that everything was in the hands of God
and that He would show the way.
And so it happened, that the next day, like many romans, I ran with my sister
fraternas to St. Peters square when, a little after 7 p.m., the white smoke emerged.
It was an enormous surprise when the name Georgium Marium cardinalem
Bergoglio was pronounced. Around us, we were the only ones who knew who he
was, so we began to tell the others about him; the Holy Spirit had guided the
cardinals and the faithful received the new Successor of Peter with great joy.
Pope Francis is an enormous gift for the Church. His ministry can be understood in
continuity with his great predecessors. The repeated attempts at comparing and
valuing or disvaluing according to these comparisons is absurd. Each Pontiff
assumes his ministry according to his own character and the gifts that God has
given him, just like every Christian who follows God giving every effort to respond to
his or her vocation. I think as Latin Americans, we can be proud in a healthy way of
our first pontiff, because in these last months weve been able to see how his deep
faith, his intense love for the Church, his simple and profound piety, his friendly and
smiling character allow him to be a witness in a new way to the richness of the
Christian message.
His words are clear and direct and they go to the heart of all, like when he said:
God never gets tired of forgiving. Neverthe problem is that we get tired of asking
for forgivingness and we dont want to. But He never gets tired of forgiving. He
exhorts Christians not to be tired and boring Christians, classroom Christians who
discuss theology over tea who are without any real ardor for proclaiming the Lord
nor solidarity for his suffering brothers and sisters; he urges us not to attempt to
domesticate the Holy Spirit but rather to let ourselves always be surprised by Him;

he calls our attention to two common temptations among Christians today:

Pelagianism and Gnosticism; he recalls that the Church is not an NGO but a history
of love, advises against the dangers of a worldly church; he invites us Christians
to be witnesses of Christ and not controllers of the faith of the people; to not
confuse apostolic zeal with numbers and statistics: true zeal is to proclaim the
Gospel of reconciliation to all. His weekly events have attracted enormous crowds,
which is a reflection of the deep hunger for God that exists in our world and is
awoken in a new way thanks to the direct and clear words of Pope Francis.
We, being the Church, should listen with openness to his teachings because it is to
us that he speaks. We should especially take heed to the constant and insistent call
to go out of ourselves, and be a missionary Church, not auto-referential, to realize
that we are in a world that is mission territory in every sense of the word: many of
our brothers and sisters dont know Jesus, they havent encountered Him; and these
brothers and sisters are not only in faraway countries but also close to each one of
us; they are our neighbors, friends, family, that we encounter in our daily lives, who
we con evangelize speaking to them of a God who is Father, who loves us, who
never gets tired of forgiving us and who us waiting for us. Lets not accustom
ourselves to our own environments and structures, lets not close ourselves to the
Spirit who calls us through the words and testimony of Pope Francis to be
evangelizers!