“The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope has been for me a great joy and a motive of renewed hope. I give thanks to the Lord”. Thus begins Miguel Miro, Superior General of the Order, in his last article in his blog. And he continues with a direct reflection: “The fact that he is the first Jesuit Pope and the first to choose the name Francis is significant for the communion and renewal of the Church. For the Argentinian Augustinian Recollects this was also a great surprise. Carlos Maria Dominguez still has not assimilated yet the news: “I have to get accustomed to see him in white because he is a simple man. He travelled by public bus and train. He does not want the protocol. He has to get accustomed to it. One went to the curia and he himself came down to open the door.
Dario Quintana still has not overcome his surprise: “I did not expect it. I had heard in the past that he had asked the other Cardinals not to vote for him. We thought that his chance was already over since he is already 76 years old, but when they said “Georgium Marium”… I was at the side of Fr. Carlos Maria, we looked at each other and when the proto deacon finished pronouncing “Bergoglio” it was a total astonishment and surprise. He is not a man of protocol, if you have to talk to him and he can not attend to you, after a few minutes he calls you by phone or cellular”.
Approachable, courteous, direct and gentle
During a homily in the parish of Our Lady of the Consolation, in Buenos Aires
The Augustinian Recollects are present in Buenos Aires since 1928. Here they administer the parish of Our Lady of Consolation located at the heart of the Argentinian Capital, in the geographic center of Buenos Aires, in the barrio of Villa Crespo – Palermo. “It is a very strong parish in its pastoral activities, in evangelization and in catechesis, with a well marked emphasis on mission. Much do we move around the barrio”, explains Dario Ruben Quintana, the parish priest during the last six years and the actual Superior of the Augustinian Recollects in Argentina.
“He visited us on various occasions and is an approachable man, courteous. He has always shown his affection and his respect for the Augustinian Recollects. And he has congratulated us for the work we do in Buenos Aires”, comments Carlos Maria Dominguez, another Augustinian Recollect who is actually the Vicar of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. “Every time he saw me he recognized me and asked for the Friars. We have talked face to face in my office and I have consulted him on some particular situations of some religious. He is very pastoral, very human and very spiritual”, Dominguez recalls with affection and quiet delight.
“He is a very direct man, gentle and frank. There is no moment when he will not notice you. He takes note of your presence. He has a good memory and he knows by name all the priests and religious”, Quintana agrees with his countrymen and brother in religion.
The Augustinian Recollects remember the last times they were together with Pope Francis when he was still the Archbishop of Buenos Aires: “Other than the pastoral visit, he would come every time we invited him”. The Vicar of Argentina remembers the last occasions he accepted the invitations of the friars: “One was during the centenary of the Province, other was when we were having a mission in the barrio and the third chance was for a very important fiesta we were celebrating and that was the “Señor del Milagro de Salta”.
“Pray for me ”
“We have seen in Argentina his gesture of inclining his head so that the people pray for him”, Quintana points out. And he remembers an anecdote: “In a meeting with the Charismatic Renewal and with the Protestant Evangelists, he also did the same gesture. But he knelt down. And not only the Catholics prayed, the Evangelists also laid over their hands on the Cardinal. He is very sincere, and very sharing of the gift of God. When I saw the gesture, immediate I remembered him. Besides, in all his personal messages and diocesan letters, he always concluded saying: “pray for me”.