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Pope Francis Praises Benedict, Urges Cardinals to Spread Gospel Vatican Rejects Argentine Accusations Against Pope Francis
(about 1 hour later)
ROME — On the second day of his papacy, Pope Francis offered warm praise on Friday to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, saying that his nearly eight years as leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics had “lit a flame in the depths of our hearts.” VATICAN CITY — — For the first time since the election of the Argentine Pope Francis two days ago, the Vatican on Friday formally defended his role in the so-called Dirty War in Argentina when critics have accused him of failing to do enough to halt abuses of which he had knowledge.
On Thursday — the first full day of his papacy — Francis seemed to bring a new tone of humility and frugality to the Vatican and he struck the same theme on Friday when he spoke to the church’s cardinals, urging them to persevere and find ways to spread word of their faith around the world. Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said there had “never been a credible accusation against him” relating to the period in the 1970s when he was the superior of the Jesuit order in Argentina.
“Let us not give in to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day,” he said. But he offered no direct allusion to the myriad challenges facing the Vatican from a series of sexual abuse, financial and other scandals swirling around the church, overwhelming Benedict’s papacy. Indeed, “there have been many declarations of how much he did for many people to protect them from the military dictatorship,” Father Lombardi said in a statement at a news conference.
Seeking to define the new pope’s approach, Vatican officials noted that he addressed the cardinals as “Brother Cardinals,” not the more usual “Lord Cardinals.” Offering more evidence of the shift, the officials said that at meals with the cardinals, he takes any seat that is free. “The accusations belong to the use of a historical-social analysis of facts for many years by the anti-clerical left to attack the church and must be rejected decisively.”
According to the officials, Francis, formerly the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, frequently extemporizes, making it more difficult for the papal press office to deliver texts of addresses like Friday’s. Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, was elected by fellow cardinals on Wednesday and much of his behavior since then has seemed to indicate a shift of tone at the Vatican to a more humble and frugal approach.
When he addressed cardinals on Friday, for instance, he spoke frequently without notes, addressing them as “Brother Cardinals” rather than as the more usual “Lord Cardinals” and the Vatican press office highlighted other shows of modesty and lack of formality since his election.
But the question of his past has never been far below the surface, rekindling accusations relating to a conflict in which as many as 30,000 people were disappeared, tortured or killed by the dictatorship.
At the news conference on Friday, Father Lombardi repeated assertions by a prominent human rights campaigner that there had been “no compromise by Cardinal Bergoglio with the dictatorship.”
The debate has simmered in Argentina, with journalists there publishing articles and books that appear to contradict Cardinal Bergoglio’s account of his actions. These accounts draw not only on documents from the period, but also on statements by priests and lay workers who clashed with Cardinal Bergoglio.
After the church had denied for years any involvement with the dictatorship, he testified in 2010 that he had met secretly with Gen. Jorge Videla, the former head of the military junta, and Adm. Emilio Massera, the commander of the navy, to ask for the release of the priests. The following year, prosecutors called him to the witness stand to testify on the military junta’s systematic kidnapping of children, a subject he was also accused of knowing about but failing to prevent.
In a long interview published by an Argentine newspaper in 2010, Francis — then still a cardinal — said that he had helped hide people being sought for arrest or disappearance by the military because of their political views, had helped others leave Argentina and had lobbied the country’s military rulers directly for the release and protection of others.
The renewed discussion of the case intruded into a day when Francis earlier offered warm praise on Friday to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, saying that his nearly eight years as leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics had “lit a flame in the depths of our hearts.”
Speaking to the church’s cardinals, he urged them to persevere and find ways to spread word of their faith around the world.
“Let us not give in to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day,” he said. But he offered no direct allusion to the myriad challenges facing the Vatican from a series of sexual abuse, financial and other scandals that sweamped much of Benedict’s papacy.
According to the officials, Francis frequently extemporizes, making it more difficult for the papal press office to deliver texts of addresses like Friday’s.
“That’s the cost of having such spontaneity,” said Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman.“That’s the cost of having such spontaneity,” said Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman.
But there was one clearly unchoreographed moment. Francis, 76, stumbled briefly as he greeted the dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano, but swiftly recovered from the trip.But there was one clearly unchoreographed moment. Francis, 76, stumbled briefly as he greeted the dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano, but swiftly recovered from the trip.
Elected on Wednesday, Francis is the first non-European pope for over 1,200 years and the first from the Americas. Vatican officials said on Friday that he had urged bishops and the faithful in his native Argentina not to spend money on a long journey to attend his formal inauguration next Tuesday but to make a donation to the poor. Since his inaugural appearance as pope, he has offered enthusiastic tribute to Benedict, now pope emeritus. Vatican officials said the new pope planned at some stage to visit Benedict at the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, where he is living while an apartment is made ready for him at the Vatican. In his retirement, Benedict has said, he plans to live “hidden to the world.” Francis is the first non-European pope for over 1,200 years and the first from the Americas. In a further display of his embrace of the poor, Vatican officials said on Friday that Francis had urged bishops and the faithful in Argentina not to spend money on a long journey to attend his formal inauguration next Tuesday but to make a donation to the poor.
Last month, Benedict became the first pope in six centuries to resign, citing failing powers and old age and precipitating a scramble for the succession in which Francis was not widely seen as being among the front-runners. In his first audience with the cardinals, Francis told them that Benedict’s papacy and teachings had “enriched and invigorated” the Catholic Church and had “lit a flame in the depths of our hearts that will continue to burn because it is fueled by his prayers that will support the church on its missionary path.”
In his first audience with the cardinals, Francis told them that Benedict’s papacy and teachings had “enriched and invigorated" the Catholic Church and had “lit a flame in the depths of our hearts that will continue to burn because it is fueled by his prayers that will support the church on its missionary path.” Vatican officials said the new pope planned at some stage to visit Benedict at the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, where he is living while an apartment is made ready for him at the Vatican. In his retirement, Benedict has said, he plans to live “hidden to the world.”
Sometimes speaking without notes, Francis observed that many of the cardinals were of advanced age, and he told them: “Let us give this wisdom to young people; like good wine, it becomes better with age. Let us give to young people the wisdom of life.” Last month, Benedict became the first pope in six centuries to resign, citing failing powers and old age and precipitating a scramble for the succession in which Francis was not widely seen as being among the front-runners.Sometimes speaking without notes, Francis observed Friday that many of the cardinals were of advanced age, and he told them: “Let us give this wisdom to young people; like good wine, it becomes better with age. Let us give to young people the wisdom of life.”
After his remarks, Francis greeted  the cardinals one by one, shaking their hands and hugging some. He also accepted letters and presents from them, including a yellow bracelet that he immediately wore on his right wrist.After his remarks, Francis greeted  the cardinals one by one, shaking their hands and hugging some. He also accepted letters and presents from them, including a yellow bracelet that he immediately wore on his right wrist.
On Thursday, on his first full day as pope, Francis stopped off at a Vatican residence to pay his hotel bill and pick up his luggage, a day after becoming pope, dramatically shifting the tone of the papacy.

Danil J. Wakin reported from Vatican City, Alan Cowell from London and Gaia Pianigiani from Rome.

Whereas Benedict was a theologian who favored scarlet slippers, ermine-lined cloaks and erudite homilies, reviving papal fashions from centuries past, Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, appeared Thursday to be sending a message of radical humility.
“This choice indicates above all a style for the church: simplicity, poverty, rigor,” said the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, the editor of La Civiltà Cattolica, a Jesuit journal close to the Vatican Secretariat of State.
One question that has been raised since Francis’ election has been the role he played during the years of military dictatorship. At a news conference on Friday, a Vatican spokesman said there had been “no compromise by Cardinal Bergoglio with the dictatorship.”

Gaia Pianigiani reported from Rome and Alan Cowell from London.