Cardinal Fernandez maintains that Francis is not dead- metaphorically
"One year later, Francis is not dead. It's dishonest to say that Leo wants to erase him."
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández: "Prevost asks us to follow his lesson in humility."
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, April 21st will be the first anniversary of Pope Francis's death: what is your last memory?
"In one of the last audiences I had with him, when he was almost silent, he looked at me, smiled, and repeated a phrase he had already said to me in the past, at very important moments: 'Humble yourself and trust.'"
What did he mean?
"Renounce all pride and show signs of humility, because in this way God could accomplish a great work through you."
Looking back on these 12 years of pontificate, what is the moment that has remained most memorable for you?
"The first time he called me as Pope, my first words were: I am Bergoglio. It seems trivial, but I think it says a lot about this man's humility."
Is there a decision or text that, in your opinion, has changed the way the Church lives?
"His insistence on speaking the Gospel from the heart, as a proclamation of infinite love. Furthermore, his application of the hierarchy of truths not only to ecumenism, but to all preaching and evangelization. The effects have been enormous. Added to this is his condemnation of the death penalty, which, unfortunately, even today, the most traditionalist groups resist."
Is any of his teaching at risk of fading today?
"Pope Leo expressed in various ways the need to continue to embrace Francis' teaching. For example, before the consistory, he asked us cardinals to reread Evangelii Gaudium and then invited us to reflect again on its application. Now he has convened the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences to resume the reception of Amoris Laetitia. These are signs that help us discover that Francis is not in the lurch. Certainly, for those who rejected all his teachings or those who only apparently accepted them, his pontificate will have been just a bad interlude (forgetting the hermeneutic of continuity).
Some commentators argue that with Pope Leo, the Bergoglian era is being erased. Is that so?
"Every Pope has his own personal style and priorities, but to say that Pope Leo wants to erase what was achieved during Francis's pontificate is dishonest. Every Pope who arrives reaps the fruits of his predecessor and works for the good of the Church, moving forward. There are many points in common between Leo and Francis; rather than opposition, we should see complementarity."
What are the most pressing issues the Pope is asking you to address as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith?
"So many requests come from bishops and other dicasteries that the Holy Father tries not to add to his commitments. He follows the reports I give him in frequent audiences very carefully and always responds clearly to questions and doubts."
Today, many don't reject the faith, but consider it unnecessary: where do we start again?
"Experience. On the one hand, the experience everyone has of dissatisfaction, emptiness, and a lack of meaning in life, but also the dream of true brotherhood, the spiritual needs that never completely disappear. And on the other, our invitation to experience a friendship with Christ who enlightens, offers meaning, with the certainty of being loved."
The transmission of the faith is in crisis: is it more a crisis of content, language, or concrete experience?
"We live in enormous distraction, the excessive noise of social media and the world in general. But sooner or later, we will all tire of the distractions that leave us only superficiality."
What should parish life be like today so that faith doesn't remain abstract?
"A community full of charisms, where everyone experiences freedom and appreciation for others to allow these gifts to flourish with joy and hope. This gives rise to a communion full of richness, color, and charm. At the same time, full of different spaces for a personal encounter with Christ. And I emphasize 'different' because the sensibilities are different."
In this historical moment for the Church, what is a concrete choice—even a difficult one—that you believe cannot be postponed and that could truly shape the future of Christian life?
"That of letting ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit without fear, without resistance, without attachment to what we have always said and done.
But this doesn't mean being attached to our own 'novelties.' We must all make the effort, conservatives and progressives alike, because everyone is tempted to close ourselves off within our own patterns and desires, and that is not the freedom of the Spirit."
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