THE election of Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope has opened a new chapter in the life of the Church.
A former Secretary General of the Society of Jesus Pedro Arrupe once said that all Jesuits were called to be leaders, and Pope Francis’ immediate actions show that he takes this to heart.
Pedro Arrupe had the gift of explaining the faith in terms that people could understand, stressing the importance of people.
Jesuits must be friendly with people before they could give them the Gospel.
Pope Francis is already following that path.
At the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia in 1976, Pedro Arrupe made the challenging statement that “if there is hunger anywhere in the world, then our celebration of the Eucharist is somehow incomplete everywhere in the world”.
How can it be claimed that our Eucharist is the Bread of Life when thousands of people die of starvation?
It matters little if these people are physically before our eyes here and now, or scattered throughout the world.
The tragedy and injustice of their death are the same wherever it takes place.
Pope Francis has already spoken of the cardinal who told him immediately after his election, “Remember the poor”.
It certainly looks that we are again entering “interesting times”.
DAVID M LANGBRIDGE
Tarragindi, Qld
