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http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2013/03/14/politica/004n1pol?partner=rss
Latin
American Pope
Accused
of having links with the dictatorship, a charge rejected by
right-wingers
·
He has an
in-depth knowledge of the regional situation, members of the Church
assure.
·
In 2011,
he was summoned by the Argentine justice to declare in a trial against
those responsible of appropriating children of the desaparecidos.
·
Religious
groups praise his simple lifestyle.
 In
December 2012, Argentine president Cristina Fernández met with
archbishop Jorge Bergoglio in the city of Luján, in the province of
Buenos Aires
(Photo:
AP)
Stella
Calloni, Correspondent - La Jornada, Thursday, March 14, 2013, p.
4.
Buenos Aires, March 13.– The election of 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge
Mario Bergoglio as the new Pope has divided opinions in Argentina, with
celebrations by all right-wing sectors and certain reservations on the
part of human rights groups, who link him with the military junta that
ruled in the country from 1976 to 1983.
His designation came as a surprise despite the fact that he had been
runner-up in the 2005 conclave that elected Benedict XVI. He is the
first Latin American as well as the first member of the Jesuit Order to
be elected to the papacy.
Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires’s Almagro neighborhood on December
17, 1936 to Mario Bergoglio, a railway worker, and his wife Regina, both
of Italian origin. He graduated from public school with the
qualification of chemical technician. At 21, he decided to become a
priest at the Jesuit seminary in Villa Devoto and ordained in 1969.
Between 1973 and 1979 he became professor of Theology and served as
provincial for the Society of Jesus, and in May 1992 he was named one of
four Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires.
In June 1997 he was appointed coadjutant bishop of the archdiocese of
Buenos Aires, and Archbishop of that city in 1998 as a replacement for
Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, a hardcore conservative and defender of
local dictatorships.
His career spiraled, and in February 2001 he was created a Cardinal by
Pope John Paul II. As Argentina’s primate, he became leader of the
Catholic Church in that country. He was also elected president of the
Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA) for two terms until 2011, when he
was succeeded by Monsignor José María Arancedo, who ultimately instilled
in the new Pope gifts like humility, devotion and balance.
Several bishops hold that as Member of the Commission for Latin America
and a number of congregations and councils, the new Pope has an in-depth
knowledge of the regional situation, whereas religious leaders
interviewed today praised Bergoglio’s simple lifestyle –he lived in a
small apartment and scorned luxury– and ironclad commitment to Catholic
doctrine.
Nevertheless, his attitude during the most recent military dictatorship
cannot be overlooked in his biography.
Most high-ranking figures of the Catholic Church are said to have had
links with the eventual dictator, as are many bishops who could have
helped from the armed forces but allegedly collaborated with, if not
agreed to, human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
In fact, the Catholic hierarchs have never taken a stand on notorious
cases, like that of the priest Christian Von Wernick, sentenced to life
imprisonment for crimes against humanity, and many others involving
kidnappings, torture and murders committed by the military dictatorship
between 1976 and 1983.
On May 12, 2011, Cardinal Bergoglio was called by the Argentine justice
to testify as a witness in a case against individuals responsible for
the systematic appropriation of children of kidnap victims in those
years. It was not his first time, as he had also been summoned to court
when the Navy Mechanics School (ESMA) faced charges of crimes against
humanity and to the trial of two Jesuit priests after one of them, who
survived, accused him of doing nothing as superior of the Society of
Jesus to prevent their kidnapping and torture.
Bergoglio has been the subject of this and other allegations by writer
and journalist Horacio Verbitsky.
His accusers point particularly to his failure to lend desperate
families a helping hand, but also church members –including a current
and a former priest, a theologian and a lay person– have made statements
unfavorable to Bergoglio.
But just as his background is not all clear, neither has any evidence
been found, as other social sectors argue, of Bergoglio’s involvement
with the dictatorship, an allegation he has strongly denied.
Peace Nobel Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel told
La Jornada today that he
warmly welcomes an Argentine-Latin American Pope, whom he describes as a
level-headed, pro-dialogue man. “I know he has been called into question
and that maybe he could have helped more, but that’s not the same as
saying that he handed some priests over [to the military]. We must have
a strong sense of responsibility. I have talked with him and I believe
he is open to dialogue. We all must make sure that the new Pope looks at
the continent through different eyes. We must demand a change.”
Celia Luro, who married the late Monsignor Jerónimo Podestá, former
bishop of the poor, says that Bergoglio stood by her when she was under
heavy attack by the Vatican for her relationship with Podestá, who
enjoys great respect in the country. On the other hand, others highlight
Bergoglio’s austerity: he uses public transportation and cooks his own
meals.
Conflicting though they may be, these views shape up the figure and
personality of a bishop and then a Cardinal who took a tough stand on
president Nestor Kirchner and then on the government headed by his
surviving wife Cristina Fernández, even if he met with her in December
2007, soon after she took office, in what seemed to be a first step
toward conciliation.
The new Pope has locked horns with the government over a bill on
abortion and another that gave same-sex marriage the go-ahead and
Bergoglio described as the devil’s war.
His actions got him closer to the rightist opposition, to the point that
the Te Deum for independence day were moved from the nation’s capital to
the provinces, with Bergoglio leveling fierce criticism from his pulpit
amidst cheers of the same extreme right that now receives the brand-new
Pope with the warmest enthusiasm.
“He is our Pope,” twittered some right-wingers, some of them relatives
of the military who were sent to prison for the crimes they committed
during the Dirty War.
Stella Calloni, Correspondent - La Jornada, Thursday, March 14, 2013, p.
4.
Buenos Aires, March 13.- The election of 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge
Mario Bergoglio as the new Pope has divided opinions in Argentina, with
celebrations by all right-wing sectors and certain reservations on the
part of human rights groups, who link him with the military junta that
ruled in the country from 1976 to 1983.
His designation came as a surprise despite the fact that he had been
runner-up in the 2005 conclave that elected Benedict XVI. He is the
first Latin American as well as the first member of the Jesuit Order to
be elected to the papacy.
Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires's Almagro neighborhood on December
17, 1936 to Mario Bergoglio, a railway worker, and his wife Regina, both
of Italian origin. He graduated from public school with the
qualification of chemical technician. At 21, he decided to become a
priest at the Jesuit seminary in Villa Devoto and ordained in 1969.
Between 1973 and 1979 he became professor of Theology and served as
provincial for the Society of Jesus, and in May 1992 he was named one of
four Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires.
In June 1997 he was appointed coadjutant bishop of the archdiocese of
Buenos Aires, and Archbishop of that city in 1998 as a replacement for
Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, a hardcore conservative and defender of
local dictatorships.
His career spiraled, and in February 2001 he was created a Cardinal by
Pope John Paul II. As Argentina's primate, he became leader of the
Catholic Church in that country. He was also elected president of the
Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA) for two terms until 2011, when he
was succeeded by Monsignor José María Arancedo, who ultimately instilled
in the new Pope gifts like humility, devotion and balance.
Several bishops hold that as Member of the Commission for Latin America
and a number of congregations and councils, the new Pope has an in-depth
knowledge of the regional situation, whereas religious leaders
interviewed today praised Bergoglio's simple lifestyle -he lived in a
small apartment and scorned luxury- and ironclad commitment to Catholic
doctrine.
Nevertheless, his attitude during the most recent military dictatorship
cannot be overlooked in his biography.
Most high-ranking figures of the Catholic Church are said to have had
links with the eventual dictator, as are many bishops who could have
helped from the armed forces but allegedly collaborated with, if not
agreed to, human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
In fact, the Catholic hierarchs have never taken a stand on notorious
cases, like that of the priest Christian Von Wernick, sentenced to life
imprisonment for crimes against humanity, and many others involving
kidnappings, torture and murders committed by the military dictatorship
between 1976 and 1983.
On May 12, 2011, Cardinal Bergoglio was called by the Argentine justice
to testify as a witness in a case against individuals responsible for
the systematic appropriation of children of kidnap victims in those
years. It was not his first time, as he had also been summoned to court
when the Navy Mechanics School (ESMA) faced charges of crimes against
humanity and to the trial of two Jesuit priests after one of them, who
survived, accused him of doing nothing as superior of the Society of
Jesus to prevent their kidnapping and torture.
Bergoglio has been the subject of this and other allegations by writer
and journalist Horacio Verbitsky.
His accusers point particularly to his failure to lend desperate
families a helping hand, but also church members -including a current
and a former priest, a theologian and a lay person- have made statements
unfavorable to Bergoglio.
But just as his background is not all clear, neither has any evidence
been found, as other social sectors argue, of Bergoglio's involvement
with the dictatorship, an allegation he has strongly denied.
Peace Nobel Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel told La Jornada today
that he warmly welcomes an Argentine-Latin American Pope, whom he
describes as a level-headed, pro-dialogue man. "I know he has been
called into question and that maybe he could have helped more, but
that's not the same as saying that he handed some priests over [to the
military]. We must have a strong sense of responsibility. I have talked
with him and I believe he is open to dialogue. We all must make sure
that the new Pope looks at the continent through different eyes. We must
demand a change."
Celia Luro, who married the late Monsignor Jerónimo Podestá, former
bishop of the poor, says that Bergoglio stood by her when she was under
heavy attack by the Vatican for her relationship with Podestá, who
enjoys great respect in the country. On the other hand, others highlight
Bergoglio's austerity: he uses public transportation and cooks his own
meals.
Conflicting though they may be, these views shape up the figure and
personality of a bishop and then a Cardinal who took a tough stand on
president Nestor Kirchner and then on the government headed by his
surviving wife Cristina Fernández, even if he met with her in December
2007, soon after she took office, in what seemed to be a first step
toward conciliation.
The new Pope has locked horns with the government over a bill on
abortion and another that gave same-sex marriage the go-ahead and
Bergoglio described as the devil's war.
His actions got him closer to the rightist opposition, to the point that
the Te Deum for independence day were moved from the nation's capital to
the provinces, with Bergoglio leveling fierce criticism from his pulpit
amidst cheers of the same extreme right that now receives the brand-new
Pope with the warmest enthusiasm.
"He is our Pope," twittered some right-wingers, some of them relatives
of the military who were sent to prison for the crimes they committed
during the Dirty War. |
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Papa Latinoamericano
Conoce a profundidad la situación regional,
señalan religiosos
Acusado de tener vínculos con la dictadura; la
derecha lo defiende
En 2011, la justicia argentina lo citó a declarar
en el juicio contra los responsables de apropiarse de hijos de
desaparecidosLos religiosos destacan la
humildad que practica en la vida cotidiana
En diciembre de 2012, la presidenta de
Argentina, Cristina Fernández, se reunió con el arzobispo
Jorge Bergoglio en la ciudad Luján, provincia de Buenos
AiresFoto Ap
Stella Calloni
Corresponsal
Periódico La Jornada
Jueves 14 de marzo de 2013, p. 4
Buenos Aires, 13 de marzo.
La elección del cardenal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, quien nació hace 76 años en esta capital, como el
nuevo papa Francisco provocó reacciones dispares aquí, con
festejos de todos los sectores de derecha y con reservas de
organismos humanitarios, que lo han vinculado con la dictadura
militar que imperó en Argentina (1976-1983).
La designación provocó sorpresa, a pesar
de que Bergoglio logró estar en un lugar destacado en el
cónclave de 2005, que eligió a Benedicto XVI. Es el primer papa
latinoamericano y también el primero de la orden de los jesuitas
en ese cargo.
Bergoglio nació en Buenos Aires el 17 de
diciembre de 1936, en el barrio de Almagro, hijo de Regina y
Mario Bergoglio, ambos italianos. Su padre fue trabajador
ferroviario.
Estudió en una escuela pública en Almagro
y egresó como técnico químico. En 1957 decidió ingresar a un
seminario de la Orden de los Jesuitas ubicado en el barrio
porteño de Villa Devoto y fue ordenado sacerdote en 1969.
Ejerció como sacerdote y provincial de la
orden de los jesuitas entre 1973 y 1979. También fue profesor de
teología. En mayo de 1992 fue consagrado uno de los cuatro
obispos auxiliares de Buenos Aires.
En junio de 1997 fue designado obispo
coadjutor de la arquidiócesis de Buenos Aires, y en 1998 asumió
el cargo de arzobispo en remplazo de Antonio Quarracino, quien
fue un duro conservador y defensor de las dictaduras locales.
Su carrera fue ascendente y en febrero de
2001 el papa Juan Pablo II lo nombró cardenal. Como primado de
Argentina se convirtió en el superior jerárquico de la Iglesia
católica de este país.
También fue presidente de la Conferencia
Episcopal Argentina (CEA) durante dos periodos, hasta 2011. Lo
sucedió en el cargo monseñor José María Arancedo, quien hoy
rescató entre los dones del nuevo Papa la humildad, la
devoción y el equilibrio .
Otros obispos consideraron que como
participante de la Comisión para América Latina e integrante de
una serie de congregaciones y consejos el actual Papa conoce a
profundidad la situación regional.
Los religiosos entrevistados hoy
coincidieron en destacar la humildad, la sencillez que
practica en su vida cotidiana, viviendo en un departamento
pequeño y desdeñando lujos , así como su cumplimiento
estricto de la doctrina de la Iglesia católica.
Sin embargo, en su biografía es imposible
no citar la actuación de Bergoglio durante la dictadura militar
más reciente.
La cúpula de la Iglesia católica, en su
mayoría, está muy comprometida por su relación con los
dictadores en turno. Se les demanda además porque muchos de los
obispos que pudieron ayudar a las Madres de Plaza de Mayo no lo
hicieron y porque los capellanes en las fuerzas armadas
colaboraron o consintieron las violaciones de derechos humanos y
los crímenes de lesa humanidad.
De hecho, los jerarcas católicos jamás se
han definido en casos emblemáticos, como el del sacerdote
Christian Von Wernick, quien fue condenado a cadena perpetua por
crímenes de lesa humanidad, como secuestros, torturas y
asesinatos, durante la dictadura militar de 1976-1983.
El 12 de mayo de 2011, la justicia
argentina citó a declarar al cardenal Jorge Mario Bergoglio como
testigo en la causa que juzga a los responsables del plan
sistemático de apropiación de menores, hijos de desaparecidos
durante el periodo de la dictadura militar de 1976-1983.
Bergoglio ya había pasado por tribunales, ya
que también fue citado en la causa que procesa a los
responsables de crímenes de lesa humanidad cometidos en la
Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada (Esma), y por el caso de dos
sacerdotes jesuitas, uno de los cuales, el que sobrevivió, lo
señaló por no haber impedido su secuestro y tortura siendo
superior de los jesuitas.El
periodista y escritor Horacio Verbitsky lo ha señalado varias
veces por esas causas.
En los testimonios de quienes lo acusan se
ha señalado específicamente su falta de compromiso para brindar
ayuda ante pedidos desesperados de familiares. Y también existen
testimonios de religiosos ante la justicia –entre ellos los de
un sacerdote y un ex sacerdote, una teóloga y un seglar– que
comprometen a Bergoglio.
Así como hay estas sombras, desde otros
sectores sociales se menciona que no existen hasta ahora
documentos que indiquen una colaboración activa de Bergoglio con
la dictadura, y él ha negado toda responsabilidad en esos casos.
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, premio Nobel de la
Paz, dijo hoy a La Jornada que ha recibido muy bien que
haya un nuevo papa argentino-latinoamericano. Es un hombre de
equilibrio, de diálogo. Sé que hay cuestionamientos, y creo que
pudo no haber ayudado, pero es distinto a decir que entregó a
sacerdotes (a los militares). Hay que actuar con mucha
responsabilidad. He hablado con él y creo que hay disposición al
diálogo. Tenemos que hacer, nosotros, que el nuevo Papa mire al
continente con otros ojos. Tenemos que exigir otro tiempo .
También Celia Luro, quien fue compañera
del ex obispo por los pobres, monseñor Jerónimo Podestá, ya
fallecido, sostiene que Bergoglio la defendió en momentos de
duros ataques del Vaticano por haber formado pareja con el
religioso, quien es muy respetado aquí.
Otros destacan su austeridad: viaja en
transporte público y él mismo se cocina.
Son visiones encontradas, pero que
integran la figura y la personalidad de un obispo, un cardenal
que ha tomado posiciones duras con el gobierno de Néstor
Kirchner y luego con el de Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a
pesar de que se reunió con ella en lo que parecía un primer paso
hacia la concialiación en diciembre de 2007, cuando recién
asumió la presidencia.
El nuevo Papa se ha enfrentado al gobierno
por los proyectos de ley sobre el aborto y la que hizo posible
el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo, que fue calificada
por Bergoglio de una guerra del diablo .
Una serie de acciones lo fueron acercando
a la oposición de derecha. La situación llegó al extremo de que
se trasladaran los Te deum de la fiesta patria a las
provincias. Y hubo duras críticas del ahora flamante Papa,
lanzadas desde un púlpito y aplaudidas por la derecha más dura,
que hoy reaccionó en conjunto con grandes festejos.
Es nuestro Papa , escribieron en
algunos mensajes de Twitter integrantes de esos sectores, entre
ellos familiares de los militares presos por los crímenes que
cometieron durante la dictadura.
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2013/03/14/politica/004n1pol?partner=rss
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