Bergoglio og "Den skitne krigen" – del to

For nøyaktig seks måneder siden, dagen etter konklavet, satt jeg på Dagsnytt 18 og diskuterte den nyvalgte paven. Umiddelbart etter valget begynte media å snuse på Bergoglios rolle under «Den skitne krigen» - militærjuntaens styre i Argentina i 1976–1983.

Så også denne kvelden på NRK. Var katolikker redde for at han hadde lik i skapet? Samarbeidet han med juntaen?

I en kommende bok, Bergoglio's List: Those Saved by Pope Francis; Stories Never Told, avsløres det at Bergoglio i sin tid som provinsial for den argentinske jesuittprovinsen, ledet et hemmelig nettverk som skjulte dissidenter fra militærregimet.

Carol Glatz/CNS:

According to the various testimonies gathered together in the volume, the future pope made sure no one knew who was part of a clandestine network that sheltered or shuttled to safety dissidents, unionists, priests, students, intellectuals, Catholics and others.

"Each person would do one particular favor for (Father Bergoglio) the head of the Jesuits in Argentina: one who would let someone sleep over for one night, another who would give someone a ride, one would put in a good word to a European consulate worker" in getting someone out of the country, said the Vatican paper, L'Osservatore Romano, Sept. 7.

Ifølge den argentinske jesuitten fr. Juan Manuel Scannone var det først i etterkant at mange skjønte hva de hadde vært del av. Bergoglio opererte i det skjulte.

Priests and seminarians thought the frequent visitors they hosted were on spiritual retreat or getting help with their studies as then-Father-Bergoglio had suggested, he said.

Instead they were priests, seminarians or students "who had ended up in the crosshairs of the dictatorship" and, in the provincial college or other residences, could find safety from being kidnapped by police.

"It took us years to realize the complete truth about Father Jorge's rescue efforts," said the priest, who is the director of the institute of philosophy at the Jesuit university and seminary in San Miguel.

Hovedfokuset for seks måneder siden var de to jesuittpatrene som i 1976 ble kidnappet og torturert av regimet, angivelig fordi Bergoglio hadde sviktet og navngitt sine medbrødre.

Father Scannone, 81, who lived with the future pope during that period in San Miguel, said he saw firsthand the pope's efforts to help free the men.

"I can testify to the worry and commitment of the provincial Father (Bergoglio) in freeing both of them," he said.

"He told me what he was doing and the information he collected in order to discover who had kidnapped them and where they might be imprisoned," said the priest.

The future pope was able to gather enough information that would "pin the generals to a corner," and the two priests were eventually freed, Father Scannone said.

Father Bergoglio also helped them escape abroad afterward so they would not run the risk of falling victim to another tragedy, he said.

New book: Pope ran clandestine network to save suspected dissidents