Loving the Pope Without Having Spoken to Him

I never met him in person (beyond seeing him drive by in the Popemobile), but for three years I followed him so closely that, at times, it seemed as though I had. My work for Catholic news agencies, specifically Zenit and Exaudi, led me to follow Pope Francis daily: his homilies at Santa Marta, his catechesis at general audiences, his speeches to different groups of people he received, his words and gestures on his numerous apostolic trips, his improvisations, his silences…

Although it was undoubtedly an arduous task, since Francis barely rested throughout the year, I can consider it a personal blessing to have had to listen to him practically every day, often live, with almost artisanal attention.

Listening to him every day, learning to recognize him

This close, unique relationship led me, over time, to be able to recognize his voice when it was strained, when what he was experiencing would lead him to stray from his prepared text, when he was tired or emotional… Even at times, when he was asked questions, I knew how to predict the answer he would give with specific expressions and examples.

Understanding over time

I must also confess that, despite this, I didn’t always understand everything he decided for the Church or said at the time. Of course, over the days—or years—some of his words and resolutions would come back to the forefront and make complete sense. Those pieces that didn’t fit together would eventually do so. I also learned then to trust and humbly acknowledge that, although my judgment allowed me to have my own opinion, I almost never had all the facts or the authority to judge him.

In this way, listening to him, reading him, and sharing news with him became, without realizing it, the best way to accompany and understand him.

For me, that’s the key: to love, you must know. Not from idealization, nor from sentimentality, but from the attention that the head of our Church deserves. Not from easy sympathy, but from the fidelity to the Successor of Peter, which we are taught and which must be consistent, not just in words.

When Twisting Becomes Routine

Along that path, it also pained me greatly to see how his words were constantly twisted or taken out of context. The teams at the news agencies where I worked had to address many hoaxes and gratuitous attacks.

Often, a cursory glance at headlines, phrases taken out of context, or biased interpretations was enough for his message to be completely distorted. But it was also enough to return to the full text or video, to the official source, to dismantle the manipulations.

Francis’s style is not for everyone… and that’s okay.

Sometimes I was challenged by people who spoke badly of him. Many hadn’t read a full homily or seen a general audience; Much less did they know, for example, the reason for each of the apostolic journeys he undertook.

I’ve always recognized that Francis’s style isn’t for everyone—no pope connects equally with everyone—but it pained me to be judged without knowing him, without even having been given the opportunity to truly speak for himself, and not through the media or even people within the Church who didn’t even seek the truth.

The truth is in the source

Ultimately, thanks to all this, I discovered that Francis wasn’t as difficult to understand as some make him out to be: you just have to want to truly listen to him. Go to the source, read him in his entirety. Let his words make their way within you and, through them, may the Holy Spirit help you receive insight and reflect on both spiritual and human issues and current events.

As a result of all this journey I have traveled without having exchanged a single word with him, I do dare to affirm that Francis was a pastor who sought to be upright, who desired to allow himself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, even amidst all his human limitations. He always asked us to pray for him because he was aware of the responsibility and weight of his ministry, and that he needed God’s guidance in all of it. That is why I also believe that his legacy, his actions, and his words deserve a direct reading, without intermediaries.

This article is not a blind defense. It is simply a tribute. A small personal testimony of how, even from afar, one can accompany, know, and love the Pope. Of how the official media, live broadcasts, and undivided words—his own, not those someone claims he said—allow us that close access.

Today, more than ever, we need people who speak the truth to us, and we also need to want to seek that truth. Popes are not meant to be applauded or criticized by headlines, but to be actively known. Because if we truly know them, it will surely allow us to open ourselves to hearing God’s voice for each of us in that moment.

Leo XIV: A New Opportunity to Listen

Now that the pontificate of Leo XIV begins, I believe that this same path remains ideal and opportune. Before opining, before labeling, before repeating what others say… it is worth approaching with patience and openness his first words, his gestures, his style.

Each pope brings his own way of serving, teaching, and pastoring. Let us also give him the opportunity to speak to us directly. Perhaps, in time, we will learn to love the Successor of Peter always, whoever he may be.

“I’m looking forward to meeting him… and loving him.”

Over the past few days, several people have asked me: “What do you think of the new Pope, Leo XIV?” And my answer has been very simple: “I’m looking forward to meeting him.” Some added: “Are you going to see him in person?” And I replied: “I’ll probably never get there, but I’m looking forward to reading and listening to him to get to know him… and to love him.”

Because to love, you have to know, and to know, you have to get close. Even from afar.