Pope Francis: Buenos Aires Episcopate (1992–2013)

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Episcopal Ministry of Jorge Mario Bergoglio

Auxiliary Bishop and Early Episcopal Service

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 by Pope John Paul II and was consecrated a bishop on 27 June 1992, taking the title of Titular Bishop of Auca. The principal consecrator was Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, then Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Upon his consecration, Bergoglio adopted the episcopal motto Miserando atque eligendo, translated as “by having mercy and by choosing him,” a phrase drawn from Saint Bede’s homily on Matthew 9:9-13, reflecting Christ’s merciful call to the tax collector Matthew.

Archbishop of Buenos Aires

On 3 June 1997, Bergoglio was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, positioning him to succeed Quarracino. He became Metropolitan Archbishop on 28 February 1998 upon Quarracino’s death. As archbishop, Bergoglio focused on restructuring the archdiocese, founding new parishes, strengthening pro-life advocacy, and establishing a commission to assist divorced individuals.

A hallmark of his tenure was his active ministry in the slums (villas miserias) of Buenos Aires. Under his leadership, the number of priests working in these impoverished communities doubled, and he visited them regularly. This earned him the affectionate nickname “villero bishop”, or “slum bishop,” among locals and clergy.

Economic Reforms and Inter-Regional Responsibilities

Early in his archbishopric, Bergoglio instituted fiscal reforms by selling the archdiocese’s bank shares and moving its funds to more conventional international banking institutions. This helped end years of financial mismanagement and brought about strict financial discipline, averting potential bankruptcy.

On 6 November 1998, he was also appointed Ordinary for Eastern Catholics in Argentina, representing the interests of Eastern Catholic Churches such as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which lacked its hierarchy in the country. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk later commended Bergoglio for his knowledge and care of Eastern liturgy and spirituality.

Advocacy, Reconciliation, and Social Justice

In 2000, Bergoglio was the only high-ranking Church official to reconcile with Jerónimo Podestá, a former bishop removed from ministry in the 1970s for marrying and opposing Argentina’s military dictatorship. Bergoglio defended both Podestá and his wife from criticism.

That same year, he called for the Argentine Catholic Church to perform public acts of penance for its complicity during the Dirty War, the country’s infamous period of state terrorism from 1976 to 1983.

Throughout his tenure, Bergoglio celebrated Holy Thursday foot-washing rituals in settings like jails, hospitals, nursing homes, and shantytowns, emphasizing humility and service.

Later Years as Archbishop and Cardinal

Bergoglio was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001 by Pope John Paul II but continued serving as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. In 2007, following Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum, he instituted a weekly Traditional Latin Mass, making the Extraordinary Form more accessible in the archdiocese.

He was elected President of the Argentine Episcopal Conference on 8 November 2005, serving a three-year term, and re-elected on 11 November 2008. During this time, he issued a collective apology for the Church’s failure to protect human rights during Argentina’s dictatorship. He also held leadership positions within the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and various liturgical committees.

Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 in December 2011, Bergoglio submitted his resignation, as required by canon law. However, as no successor had yet been appointed, he remained in office until his election to the papacy in March 2013.

References

• ^ “Pope Francis: A Man of the Church.” Jesuit Curia, Society of Jesus, 2013.

• ^ “Bergoglio’s Early Priesthood and Jesuit Leadership.” The Tablet, March 2013.

• ^ Allen, John L. Francis: A Pope for Our Time. New York: Time Books, 2013.

• ^ Ivereigh, Austen. The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2014.

• ^ “Pope Francis Biography.” Catholic News Agency. Accessed April 2025.

• ^ Reese, Thomas J. Inside the Jesuits: How Pope Francis Is Changing the Church. HarperOne, 2015.

• ^ “The Yom Kippur War and Its Global Effects.” BBC History, 2019.

• ^ “Milltown Institute and the Jesuit Tradition in Ireland.” Irish Catholic Historical Quarterly, Vol. 58, 2012.

• ^ “Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Theology and Philosophy.” Frankfurt Archdiocese Archives. Accessed 2025.

• ^ Rubin, Sergio. El Jesuita. Buenos Aires: Ediciones B, 2010.

• ^ Vallely, Paul. Pope Francis: Untying the Knots. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013.

• ^ “Czmil and the Byzantine Rite Influence on Pope Francis.” Ukrainian Catholic University Review, 2016.

• ^ “The Jesuit Divide: Liberation Theology and the Argentine Church.” National Catholic Reporter, 2005.

• ^ “Bergoglio’s Displacement and Tensions with Jesuit Leadership.” America Magazine, March 2013.

• ^ “From Jesuit Provincial to Pontiff: Jorge Mario Bergoglio.” La Nación, March 2013.

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