As far as I know, this has to be the first time in two thousand years that a rabbi has written the foreword for a book about the thoughts of a Catholic priest. An act all the more significant when said priest is the archbishop of Buenos Aires and a cardinal consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
I saw the same sentence above, with which I begin these reflections, but with the names and titles reversed, when one of my own books was launched in 2006 with a foreword by then Cardinal Bergoglio.
It is not about an exchange of favors, but rather a sincere and accurate testimony to a profound dialogue between two friends for whom the search for God and the spiritual dimension that lies in every human being was and is a constant concern.
Interreligious dialogue, which acquired special significance after the Second Vatican Council, usually begins with a stage of “tea and sympathy” before moving on to the trickier subjects. With Bergoglio, there was no such stage. Our conversation began with an exchange of terrible jokes about each other’s favored soccer teams and went immediately to the candor of sincere and respectful dialogue. Each of us expressed to the other his particular vision about the many subjects that shape life. There were no calculations or euphemisms, just clear and direct ideas. One opened his heart to the other, just as the Midrash defines true friendship (Sifrei Devarim, Piska 305). We sometimes disagree, but each always tries to understand the deep feeling and thoughts of the other. And with all that emerges from our shared values, those that come from the prophetic texts, there is a commitment that has been manifested in various actions. Beyond any interpretation or criticism that others might make, we walk together with our truth, with the shared conviction that the vicious cycles that degrade the human condition can be broken. With faith that the path of history can and should be changed, that the biblical vision of a redeemed world, as foreseen by the prophets, is not a mere utopia, but an achievable reality that needs only committed people to make it real.
This book is the life testimony of Bergoglio and was originally published with the title El Jesuita (The Jesuit), though I prefer to call him “the pastor.” He dedicates it to the many who share his existential path and especially to his flock. The reader will repeatedly find expressions such as: “I have sinned . . . I was wrong . . . Such and such were my failings . . . Time or life has taught me . . .” Even in the tricky topics that come with Argentine reality, with the Church’s actions during the dark years, and with his own actions, readers will hear stories told with humility, and they will see his constant thirst to understand and empathize with his neighbors, especially those who are suffering.
Some will disagree with his assessments, but beyond all possible criticism, everyone will agree on the considered nature, the humility, and the compassion with which he confronts every one of his topics.
Bergoglio’s obsession, the leitmotif woven throughout the book, can be defined in these words: coming together and unity, understanding these as a state of harmony among men, in which everyone cooperates for both the material and the spiritual growth of everyone else, inspired by love.
Following biblical text, Bergoglio centers his reflections on the word “love,” and refers to the following verses, among others: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5); “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18); “You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself” (Leviticus 19:34). “Love” is the word that defines the most exalted of man’s feelings, and serves Bergoglio as a source of inspiration in the realization of his actions and in the forming of his message.
The reader will find in this book Bergoglio’s vision with respect to the problems currently facing the Catholic Church, detailing without reservation and in clear critical language its failings. The teacher of faith, in accordance with the biblical worldview, should express his criticism to all members of the society in which he preaches, from the pulpit of the spirit, which is far away from all partisan interest.
In my own childhood, my father, an immigrant born in Poland, used to take my brother and me to visit historical places. Leaving the Cabildo, he pointed out the image on the cathedral’s façade. It represents the meeting of Joseph and his brothers, he said. I had heard about the anti-Semitism that my Polish ancestors experienced, and that image, decorating the top of a church, overwhelmed me with hope. A day will come, I thought, in which everyone will recognize their brotherhood with their neighbors.
I see this book and many of the stories in it as a tribute to that hope, a hope that we have shared as brothers for many years, that has enriched our spiritual lives, and that surely has brought us closer to that which blows the breath of life into every human being.
RABBI ABRAHAM SKORKA
Buenos Aires, December 23, 2009