The Bishop of Rome in the life of the Congregation

In responding to the first question addressed to him by a journalist on his return flight from South America, Pope Francis described the church of Paraguay as "a lively church, a joyful church, a church that struggles and which has a glorious history". And a church that had to wait 27 years before once more welcoming the pope ...! The exuberant welcome was the result of this long wait. A few weeks later, Fr. Tobia Sosio scj helped us taste the fruits of this ecclesial event.

“Welcome to Pope Francis ... Give your life for great ideals.” This is what was written on a sign at the entrance of the College of San José Asunción. All spoke of the special affection that the Pope manifested repeatedly to Paraguay. Young people, especially, could not forget the wonderful experience of World Youth Day in Rio.

50,000 young people were prepared to be “servants of the Pope” ... And 30,000 students formed a welcome chain, from the airport to the Nunciature: a young crowd of children had gathered along the road to see quickly passing Papal transport. But it is the meetings and celebrations with Pope Francis, and his ability to communicate spontaneously with his audience that will long remain etched in people’s hearts.

We religious of Betharram, were fortunate to receive him in our own school, in the Leon Coundou Sports Hall, for one of the most anticipated events: what message the Pope had it reserved for representatives of civil society? The Catholic University, organizer of the event, explained that 1,600 groups and associations were invited to attend this meeting, approximately 4000 people. People could still remember that famous encounter with the “builders” of society during the memorable visit of John Paul II in 1988, an event that had been banned by the Stroessner dictatorship, but was eventually held by the explicit will of the Pope. In his ignorance, the dictator had banned ministers and leaders of his party to participate ... and the following year he was overthrown.

This second visit was very much expected. Certainly, we are now in a democracy, but the social life of the country is still going through serious difficulties. Hissing against the current President Cartes was followed, at the entrance of the Pope, by a shattering and spontaneous applause. Applause accompanied each sentence of the Pope, creating a kind of dialogue and marked the total public approval. That may be why the Pope concluded with this friendly recommendation:

“A word of advice before saying goodbye and a blessing: the worst thing that can happen to each of you when you leave here is to think: “It is good that the Pope said this or that to those people!” If any of you accept this way of thinking – (and sometimes I do myself!) - you must reject these thoughts .... Who did the pope say these things for? - For me! To each, and every one “For me’’.

Rather than make a speech, the Pope undertook to answer questions from five representatives of society: a young person, an indigenous person, a peasant, a business executive, and a government representative.

His answers help us understand the social message that characterizes his pontificate, in which he clearly emphasizes the importance of linking faith to commitment for the common good and sustained attention to the poorest. I transcribe verbatim some of his comments:

"It is important that you, the young, … realize that genuine happiness comes from working to make a more fraternal country! …Be committed to something, be committed to someone. This is the vocation of young people so don’t be afraid to take a risk on the field, but play fairly and give it your best. Don’t be afraid to give the best of yourselves! Don’t look for easy solutions beforehand so as to avoid tiredness and struggle. And don’t bribe the referee.[...]
I confess to you that I feel somewhat allergic, and a bit put off as it were, when I hear very eloquent discourses; those who know the speaker end up saying, “What are liar you are!” This is why words on their own are not enough. If you give your word of honour, then make sacrifices each day to be faithful to that word, to be committed! [...]
Dialogue must be built on something, an identity. This means that, for there to be dialogue, that fundamental basis of identity must exist. And what is the identity of a country? – and here we are speaking about a social identity – to love the nation. The nation first, and then my business! The nation comes first! That is identity. That is the basis upon which I will dialogue. If I am to speak without that basis, without that identity, then dialogue is pointless.[...]
During dialogue there is conflict. … But we mustn’t fear it, we mustn’t ignore it. On the contrary, we are invited to embrace conflict. If we don’t embrace conflict, saying to ourselves “this is a headache, let him go home with his ideas, and I’ll go back to mine with my ideas”, then we will never be able to dialogue. This means that we have to “face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process” (Evangelii Gaudium, 227). Let us dialogue. Where there is conflict, I embrace it, I transform it, and it is a necessary element of a new process. [...]
The poor are the flesh of Christ. When people come to me to confession – and I have less opportunities to hear confessions than when I was in the diocese – I like to ask them: “Do you help people?”. “Yes, I give alms to the poor”. “I see, and tell me, when you give alms, do you touch the hand of the person you’re giving alms to or do you throw the money to them?” We are speaking of attitudes here. “When you offer alms, do you look into their eyes or do you look the other way?” This demeans the poor person. […]
Those charged with promoting economic development have the responsibility of ensuring that it always has a human face. Economic development must have a human face. We say no to an economy without such a face! They have in their hands the possibility of providing employment for many persons and in this way of giving hope to many families.

To receive the Pope among us was certainly a privilege, but it also represents a commitment and a challenge. How to awaken in children and the young the desire to act for the common good? How do we witness to a genuine love for the poor, to the point of being evangelized by them? How to fight against this social evil, so diffuse and dangerous, that Pope Francis has defined as the “gangrene of a people”, namely corruption? And how to overcome the great divide between faith and life, a temptation always present in every Christian? The Pope defined in clear terms during his visit to one of the suburbs of Asunción:

“A faith that does not make solidarity real is a dead faith or a false faith. ‘’I’m Catholic, I go to Mass every Sunday. ‘’But tell me, sir, madam, ‘’What is happening over there at *Bañados? [*A very poor district of Asuncion]‘’ - ‘’Oh, I do not know, yes ... no ... I do not know [but ] ... yes, I know there are people out there, but I do not know...‘’. Despite more Masses on Sundays, if you do not have a heart attached, if you do not know what is happening with people around you, your faith is very weak, or sick, or dead. It is a faith without Christ. Faith without solidarity is a faith without Christ, without God, without brothers. “

Fr. Tobia Sosio, scj
General Councillor

Father Leon Coundou...was born at Tarbes. He had his secondary education at the Apostolic School in Betharram and his priestly education in Nazareth and Bethlehem. He was ordained priest in 1946 at the age of 25, was named for the San Jose College at Ascuncion where he arrived at the beginning of the following year and where he was to stay until his death.
If he gave himself over fully to teaching, Father Coundou was not only a master who taught, but he was also a priest and a priest who could turn a Boy Scout’s camp or football camp into a means of approaching God. As national chaplain to the Scouts in Paraguay he knew how to mingle with the campers in such a way as to discover their problems and make himself available for all their needs. The Football Club at Asuncion Cerro Porteno was proud to have him as their chaplain. But as a sportsman he had a soft spot for Deportivo San Jose. It can be said that he gave the best of himself to it. Unfortunately he didn’t see the end of the construction of the sports hall nor enjoy the facility fully. However, today the sports villa is proud to bear his name.

On the day of his funeral countless friends came to pay him a final tribute. The ambassador of Paraguay to Colombia, who also happened to be an old boy, wrote to his brothers in community: “Father Coundou, specialist in education, friendship, joie de vivre and sporting happiness is a living example for the rising generations who knew him both in college and out of college. His name and his life will always be a light for those of us who were his friends. How much more so for those who had been his students and who received all the joie de vivre which he communicated in his own way. His was a Christian way of self giving for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.”