ROME (OSV News) -- Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States, reflected on Pope Francis' legacy and the evangelizing mission of the church in an interview that took place during the early meetings of the general congregations leading up to the conclave that will elect the next pope.
"It is very important for all of us to understand Pope Francis' background, and the fact that he is a priest, he is a Jesuit," Cardinal Pierre said, still referring to the late pontiff in the present tense. "He was born and educated in Argentina, even if -- as many in Latin America -- he has European roots. He grew up in South America, where the Second Vatican Council was a very big event. He became a priest with Vatican II, as did I."
Cardinal Pierre emphasized that the formation he and Pope Francis received, having entered seminary in the early 1960s, was deeply rooted in the transformative spirit of the Second Vatican Council.
"The church is not monolithic; it is the assembly of those who believe in Christ, and from time to time, they meet to examine how to respond to the challenges of our time," he said. “Evangelization cannot be done if not in context."
He described the evolution of evangelization in Latin America over the past 55 years, noting key moments like the bishops' meetings in Medellín, Colombia, 1968, Puebla de los Angeles, Mexico, 1979, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1992, and Aparecida, Brazil, 2007.
"Medellin happened within a context of scandal, because of the injustice, the difference between the rich and the poor in a Catholic continent," Cardinal Pierre said. "That's when the bishops made a preferential option for the poor, and this hasn't changed."
The 1968 conference in Medellín was the second regional meeting of Latin America's bishops, with the primary objective of interpreting Vatican II for the Latin American context. The conference's documents denounced the region's economic, political, and cultural dependency on northern and European powers, emphasizing a theme of liberation against oppressive structures and paving the way for an Argentine pontiff elected decades later.
The French-born cardinal recalled how Pope Francis, while rooted in the Latin American church, avoided the Marxist influences that had seeped into some forms of Liberation Theology.
"Bergoglio, even as a South American, never embraced this Marxist version of liberation theology, embracing instead the theology of the people," he said. "The dimension of evangelization from the people is very important."
Cardinal Pierre credited the 2007 Aparecida meeting with shaping Pope Francis' papal mission.
"This man, through the intervention of God, divine providence, became pope. I say, ‘Pope Francis was born in Aparecida,’" Cardinal Pierre said, much like St. John Paul II "became pope in Puebla," a second meeting of the Latin American bishops attended by the Polish pontiff roughly three months into his election in October 1978.
In 2007, then-cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was tasked with drafting the final document of Aparecida.
"'Evangelii Gaudium,' Pope Francis' first encyclical, is rooted in Aparecida, and the rest are continuations," the cardinal told OSV News.
Looking ahead to the next conclave, Cardinal Pierre emphasized the importance of continuity.
"Today, as a church, we need to provide the people the possibility of an encounter with Christ and, as a result of that encounter, we need to become missionaries," he said. "The conclave is a moment of the (Holy) Spirit. It will be a time to remember the legacy of Pope Francis, and to open ourselves to the Spirit to decide how we continue, and continue is the right word, because we cannot repeat, we cannot clone Pope Francis."
Asked about any flaws he might have seen in Pope Francis, Cardinal Pierre said, "Honestly, I don't see any flaw in Pope Francis. Yes, he was a human being, and the truth is, the attraction to the person comes from his flaws. But I never put myself as a judge. I liked him a lot. At times, maybe he trusted too much in some people, but this is not a problem."
He praised Pope Francis' consistency and coherence. "His determination, his analysis, his answer to the challenges never changed," Cardinal Pierre said. "This is the church I believe in. I was touched by that. I have no objections to him."
As the church enters into a period of transition, Cardinal Pierre offered a message to the people of God, urging them to embrace missionary discipleship.
“The invitation to become missionaries is essential. But missionaries in the sense that we will go out and share the good news," he said. "But we cannot announce it if we haven't first converted ourselves. It is not a business announcement, but a witness."
Reflecting on his own experience in missionary countries, Cardinal Pierre highlighted the impact of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
"When I was in Uganda, thanks to TPMS, I was distributing 4 million dollars," he said. "And we need to continue to be able to do this."
As the cardinals gather, Cardinal Pierre said he looked forward to the conversations ahead.
The cardinals "are there for a purpose," he said. "I think it's true that there is a reason why Pope Francis went to the far ends of the world to find (some of the) cardinals."
