Since the Holy Father was admitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic, thousands of us have unequivocally expressed our hope for his recovery, precisely in this Jubilee to which he has summoned us under this theological virtue. We are doing so with the most powerful weapon in existence: prayer. And we welcome with joy the improvement he is experiencing, while at the same time the voices that have been raised these days in various media outlets, disregarding the basic privacy and respect due to any sick person, violating the professional code of ethics, must be silenced. And by ignoring the fact that in his specific case, it is Peter, the Vicar of Christ on earth, boasting of earthly wisdom, some have even set an expiration date on his life and organized a possible conclave.

They did not count on God’s plans and the power of supplication that so often works miracles. And now, with visible joy, we celebrate this twelfth anniversary of the pontiff, in which he has shown himself to be a true shepherd with the “smell of sheep.” He embodies within himself the characteristics of a servant of Christ and his neighbor in countless ways. Even while in the hospital, he has been offering himself for the faithful of the Church and for those far from it. It is understandable that, from so many corners of the earth, believers and non-believers, or those belonging to faiths other than the Catholic faith, are praying for him. It was the prayer that marked his first presentation to the world as pontiff-elect and the most insistent and daily request we have heard him make over these years.

We have the grace of having a Pope who has been exhausting himself for Christ and his Church, which is all of us. Those who judge him, little less than irresponsible for the deterioration of his health, have understood nothing. They do not understand that a genuine apostle, like him, spares no effort and effort. He is urged by the conversion of the world; he offers his life without restraint, because faith confers the certainty that God always acts with his grace on those who live detached from themselves. This is the authentic act of service to which the Holy Father appeals when he says: “If we want to follow Jesus, we must follow the path He himself has traced, the path of service.” “Do you want to excel? Serve. This is the way.” “Serving does not diminish us, but makes us grow. The victor is not the one who dominates, but the one who serves out of love.” “Service is the Christian way of life […] it is born of love,” and love “knows no boundaries, makes no calculations, it consumes itself and gives itself.” And that is what the Pope has done not only in these years, but throughout his life, as seen in his autobiography: consuming himself, giving himself, almost reaching the limits of his strength. The stubbornness that some have appreciated in him, in spiritual terms, has another interpretation: love for the people who seek him, who want to be with him, a reciprocal feeling that has never abandoned him.

In twelve years of his pontificate, he has turned many things around within the Church. He has adopted guidelines suggested by the cardinals and implemented them. He has acted with clarity and courage, moved by an unwavering faith, never losing his joy, fully aware of the impact his decisions would have and the multitude of criticisms they would entail. With energy and determination, always tireless, he has introduced the changes he believed should characterize a Church on the move, whose hallmark is precisely breaking with stagnation, that detestable “it’s always been this way,” which speaks of immobility, which induces a comfortable life that fosters routine. And he has been erasing this idea with patience and energy.

The sign of service is movement, attention to others, exquisite care for the mission entrusted to each person. It is seeing the needs of others, anticipating them to meet them, considering how to face challenges, and acting with prudence and determination. The Jesuit religious, the priest and pastor from Buenos Aires embodied all of this. Everyday heroism, understanding, kindness, friendship, being one with the people and walking alongside them, fighting for the rights of the oppressed, risking his life to save others, acting in favor of peace… these were traits that characterized him when he assumed the Chair of Peter. The charisma he received and that assists him as Vicar of Christ has enhanced the enormous richness of a life that was far removed from trappings, even for reasons of origin and upbringing. The Pope has never forgotten his humble roots, and the account of his intense life provides keys to understanding many of the decisions he has made as the highest authority in the Church.

His moral authority is indisputable. Prayerful, austere, merciful, humane, selfless, full of tenderness, humble, aware of his smallness, afflicted by the mistakes he made in his time, a feeling that leads him to recognize that he is a sinner like any other. And we know that these are not repetitive or contrived words, uttered to provoke in others some kind of reaction similar to his person. They simply reveal some small nuances of his profound spiritual journey, of an unwavering religious vocation; they spring from the depths of a heart that reveals a deep thirst for conversion and penitence.

There are countless images of him embracing the sick, blessing children and their mothers, kneeling before rulers to beg for peace, taking off his shoes before authorities of other faiths, being moved by the tragedy of emigrants, pitying the wounds of the enslaved who have borne the brunt of hatred and the lust for power, or the survivors of massacres, the poor and abandoned, homeless children…; in short, the people who suffer and weep. He has shared, he has mingled his own tears with theirs. He is an understanding Pope, demanding when necessary, kind, approachable, without partiality, sensitive, natural, always simple, never authoritarian. All of this is not improvised; it is the fruit of prayer, and at his advanced age, he demonstrates the profound mark his work has left over the years on those who have known him, those who have dealt with him closely, and, of course, on the Church. An edifying apostolic career that can be reviewed and that encapsulates what it means to act with a spirit of service. He is the authoritative voice of experience based on living the Gospel; that says it all.

In the newspaper archives, there is a compendium of his extraordinary legacy, which I myself have also summarized on other occasions and in other places. But today I wanted to focus this reflection on the man, the priest, the Pope, expressing my gratitude for the dedication of his life, which he used to the fullest; the clearest sign of his love. Best wishes, Holy Father. We love you and continue to pray for you.