Msgr. Jeronimo Podesta, Mercy, and Compassion

                                                          Msgr. Jeronimo Podesta (courtesy of misionst.blogspot.com)

Unforgiveness is a harsh tyrant when allowed to rule the hearts of men. The Archbishop of Buenos Aires knew it and what he did was most telling. Regarding this episode in Pope Francis’ life, Margaret Hebblethwaite tried to remember the instances and wrote the short narrative:

When Podesta was dying, Bergoglio was the only Catholic cleric who went to visit him in the hospital, and, when he died, the only one who showed public recognition of his great contribution to the Argentinian church (The Guardian, 14 March 2013).

He came to visit Monsignor Jeronimo Podesta, a Catholic bishop who did something very wrong, who as a man of the cloth fell from grace, borrowed Cupid’s wings, and got married. Definitely, what he did constituted a betrayal of trust placed by Mother Church and a sin that brought shame and dishonor upon all priests of Argentina.

For this, Monsignor Podesta, the offending party, has been judged, looked down upon and treated badly, ostracized and nearly forgotten. From a bishop to a poor man dying in misery, he was alone when Cardinal Bergoglio visited him.

As the Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Bergoglio was the legitimate representative of the offended party, the Catholic Church. What Bergoglio brought to the offending party was God’s sweet mercy, not torture. Scolding was absent during the short visit, in fact there was no exchange of words when Cardinal Bergoglio sat beside the prelate, subdued by lingering sickness, lying in affliction, agonizing, humbled.

Cardinal Bergoglio was the only Catholic cleric who went to visit him. The archbishop gently held his weak hands as if holding a relic and prayed with him in silence. Only mercy was there! And compassion was present! And so much love! The picture of Jesus immediately calls to mind, the image of the forgiving Master telling the woman caught in adultery: “Neither I condemn you.”

The shepherd Bergoglio prayed that God’s forgiveness be upon the dying man and that the heavens smile upon him again as he departed from this life to join Him in His Kingdom. Oh, what an experience of the freshness of the Good News! (cf. Sandro Magister, L'espresso. 2 December 2002).

One could’ve sensed drops of tears rolling down Podesta’s cheeks that very moment when the sole visitor arrived and more tears flowing after the visitor left.