Antoni Bassas' analysis: "I don't know if Spain is reconciled with its history" (Francesc, 2021)

This morning we saw the body of Pope Francis for the first time. His death He has reminded us once again that a much thinner thread seems to separate life from death. This Sunday, he blessed the faithful in the Plaza de Sant Pere, and next Sunday, he will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

That Pope Bergoglio did not want to be buried in the Vatican It's a statement as powerful as the one on the first day of his pontificate, when he decided he wouldn't sleep in the Apostolic Palace but in the Santa Marta residence, within the Vatican walls, but much more functional. He had his reasons. Think about something: Bergoglio became Pope because his predecessor, Benedict XVI, resigned, not because he had died, and a papal resignation hadn't happened for centuries. And he resigned because an aide stole and photocopied thousands of documents from Ratzinger, and the pedophilia scandals affecting the Catholic Church could no longer be hidden. In the Vatican, there was, to put it in evangelical terms, a den of vipers. This is the Holy See that Francesc inherited in 2013. I'm not going to insist on the assessment we've been feeling for the past 24 hours, but Francis has been the Pope of immigrants, of refugees from wars, of those fleeing climate disasters. He came to the papacy with an idea: pastoral care for the big cities. Where all the world's misery ends up, he wanted parishes to become field hospitals. In Barcelona, we have one, in the parish of Santa Anna, next to Plaza Catalunya, which provides lunches and dinners to hundreds of people, as well as medical and legal assistance, and finds a roof and a job for those who have nothing.

Precisely today, at 7 p.m., St. Anne's is organizing a prayer vigil for the Pope. This is a tangible legacy that Francis leaves among us, as well as a Church that is more transparent, more inclusive, more consistent with what it preaches. And, above all, more Catholic, which means more universal.

In this regard, his papacy coincided with the Trial. When Carlos Herrera interviewed him in 2021, he asked: "You said that sovereignty is an exaggeration that always ends badly. What attitude do you think we should adopt when faced with a rupture?" The question sought condemnation. And it didn't find it. Francis replied:

"I would say look at history. There have been cases of independence throughout history. These are European countries that are even in the process of independence today. Look at Kosovo and that entire region, which is rebuilding itself." He added:

"In the case of Spain, it is you, the Spanish people, who must judge, and you must be fair in your attitude. But for me, the most key thing right now in any country that has these kinds of problems is to ask yourself if you have reconciled with your own history. I don't know if Spain is fully reconciled with its own history, especially the history of the last century. And if it isn't, it is with the history of the last century. [...] National unity is a fascinating expression, it's true, national unity, but it will never be valued without the basic reconciliation of peoples."

The Pope was right: Spain does not recognize its own reality.

We're done. The analyses of Francis are mixed with the succession journeysHere's a first approximation. Of the 138 cardinal electors, Francis has appointed 110, or 79%. It wouldn't be surprising if the next cardinal were Asian or African. Given the current state of the world, his wife will be of great geopolitical importance.

Good morning.