Colombo: Francisco taught us to live with faith and realism

Sebastian Samson Ferrari – Vatican City

In a morning dyed and shocked, the Catholic Church received the painful news about the death of Pope Francis. At 7:35 am, I left the local time in Rome, the first Pontif of Latin America and Argentine to the father’s house, after a recovery period, although it was visible in his last public work, did not expect such an immediate result.

In this context of Duel and Esperanza, the Vatican and Vatican Radio news spoke exclusively with Monsignor Marcelo Colombo, the president of Mandoza’s bishops and president of the Argentine episcopal conference, who presented a significant reflection on life, legacy and the lover of the Jerusalem Father.

Surprise and hope for the morning of Easter

“He surprised his departure, we filled us with a surprise,” Bilat admitted, still moving. Remember how, only yesterday, Francis City and the world.

“We have seen the effort it represents to be there, and at the same time, its determination to be close to the people of God to the end,” he said. In the midst of the surprise of his death, the introduction realized that this shock quickly was accompanied by a firm hope: the same thing that the Pope knew how he was grown in the life of the Church and in every heart he did not touch his word, his view and signs.

Pope of mercy and commitment to the poor

When talking about the legacy of Francisco, Mons. Colombo did not hesitate to refer to this as an indisputable witness of the love of God, especially in the poorest and most excluded. He said, “We learned to live with his feet in a good position on the ground, with a generous heart and faith, depth of reality,” he said.

He also stressed that the message of the Pope’s mercy was not an abstract idea, but rather a daily practice, embodied in tangible gestures of tenderness, rapprochement and service. Francisco was promoted to the Samaritan Church, “Campaign Hospital Church”, which does not relieve hands of the healing of the wounds of the world.

Senodal, open and participatory church

In response to a question about the meaning of the presence of the Argentine Pope, Monsnor Colombo sparked emotion in the historical moment he chooses in 2013. He also highlighted his main role in presenting the conclusions of the appearance conference to the heart of the global church and its rush to unpublished operations such as the Church of Latin America and the Caribbean. For Colombo, Pope Francis knew how to translate the pastoral dynamics of the continent into a tangible and global sympathetic proposal.

One of the impressive effects of Pontificate, in the opinion of the bishop, was the Single Road. “We have confirmed the desire to build a fraternal and participatory church, where everyone has a voice,” he said, referring to the recent experience in the Synod about the Synod. He also depth his openness to women, his educator with the elderly, his closeness to young people and their constant option in the parties, these human facts are often invisible, but for Francis it was always the center of the Bible.

A call to continue your legacy

On a more personal plane, Monsignor Colombo recalled the accompaniment of Francisco since he was appointed bishop in 2009. He explained that this humanity was specifically one of the most Christian features in the Pope: “In his life he showed us that a deep human being is the best way to live in the Bible.”

At the end of the interview, the head of the Argentine bishops believed in Latin America and the world: “Let us honor their memory that he lives while teaching us: being Samaritan, servant, compassionate church, listening to the hustle and bustle of people and turning into ways of hope.” He added with the conviction: “God has given us in Francisco a shepherd according to his heart, which is the heart of a penetration from the love of Christ. This is our north, too, with our compass.”

In the midst of mourning, the words of Monsignor Colombo resonated as an echo of Francisco himself: modest, firm, optimistic. Words not only release the Pope, but remember the strength of its inheritance, and commitment to the continuation of the construction of a more and more humanitarian church.