Pope Francis was 'kind of a jerk' when he was a young priest
Yes, that's the same pope who took the bus after being elected, who has refused to live in the papal palace, and who washed the feet of prisoners. Long before he was pope, Francis was Jorge Bergoglio, the authoritarian.
In 1973, when he was just 36 years old, Bergoglio was promoted to his first leadership position, the head of the Jesuits in Argentina. Suddenly, after only two years of service, Bergoglio was in charge of thousands of Jesuits, many of whom were his colleagues. Faced with this new role, Bergoglio took to the Don Corleone style of management — you were either with him or you were against him, says Jim O'Grady at WNYC. If he had a problem with a priest, Bergoglio would yell at that priest in front of a group to humiliate him. "Bergoglio was kind of a jerk," a senior church official told WNYC. ("Except the official used a stronger word than 'jerk,'" WNYC notes.)
For context, Bergoglio was following the example of Pope John Paul II, who attempted to unite the church by emphasizing obedience to authority. By the time Bergoglio's term as leader ended, his fellow Jesuits essentially exiled him for a few years. And it is during this rather dark, personal period, that Bergoglio began to adopt the more humble, collegiate leadership style he is now known for. So, without a jerky Bergoglio, we wouldn't have a humble Francis.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
