We co-hosts at Lost Prophets each have a slightly different story about encountering Pope Francis, to use a word which he gave a particular meaning. (Elias’ reflection on the Pope of the Peripheries is here and Pete’s reflection on Francis and The God of Surprises is here.) Theologically speaking, the encuentro refers to an understanding of the Catholic faith, not as a set of doctrines, but as an experience of meeting a person (or more precisely, a Person).
In the wake of his passing last week, we reflect in this episode on Pope Francis as a Lost Prophet himself, emerging out of the same era and spirit that so many featured in our series also did. But unlike the others, Francis reached the peak of his influence half a century later and, in doing so, was much less “lost” to our time—in fact, he may have been the largest countercultural voice of our day.
Discussed in the episode:
* Francis as a symbol of the arrival of Catholicism as a world church whose center of gravity is now the Global South.
* Pete’s story of Francis rescuing him in 2013 from a turn toward millennial-style cynicism.
* Francis’ personal history, starting with his labor activist grandmother, his Salesian high school, his Jesuit training, his experience of Peronism.
* Vatican II and the Pact of the Catacombs, a document which will later influence Francis.
* His role as the Jesuit provincial of Argentina during the Dirty Wars of the 1970s and his authoritarian style at the time.
* His studies with Romano Guardini and a time of interior crisis before being appointed an auxiliary bishop in Buenos Aires, then Archbishop.
* We speculate: Was he, like Romero, a “conservative” who whose life experience broke him open to the world?
* The 2007 Aparecida meeting of the Latin American bishops: Francis emerges as a transformative leader.
* His anti-ideological views and his “revision” of liberation theology toward a theology of the people (teologia del pueblo)—and the beauty of mestizo culture.
* An alternative kind of development: integral ecology.
* Evangelii Gaudium (2013) and the evangelical importance of encounter.
* Time over space, realities over ideas, and the whole over the parts (the polyhedron).
* Laudato Si’ (2015) and hearing “the cry of the poor, the cry of the earth”
* Elias talks about his invitation to Rio for World Youth Day in 2013 and his experience of seeing Francis in person, the beginning of his personal encounter with Francis.
* Francis’ vision of the Church as a “field hospital”.
* Fratelli Tutti and the need to become a people, a culture.
* The Synod on the Amazon and the engagement with the indigenous concept of buen vivir.
* Pete’s reflection on his late father’s anthropological work in the Amazon and on behalf the rights of its indigenous peoples.
* Concluding thoughts on the movie Conclave and on Francis’ legacy.
Further reading:
* Austin Ivereigh’s biography of Francis, Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church
* Charles Taylor on Fratelli Tutti
* Andrew Sullivan on the “Untier of Knots”
* Bergoglio in 1991 on Corruption and Sin
Many thanks to the great band NOBLE DUST, who provides the music for Lost Prophets. Their latest album, A Picture for a Frame, is here.
LOST PROPHETS is a podcast about the mid-century voices of solidarity we need to hear again. To listen on your podcast player, our Spotify link is here, Apple Podcasts link is here, and RSS link is here.
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