On December 13, 2019, Pope Francis will present the work of his spiritual father, the Jesuit Miguel Ángel Fiorito (1916-2005), edited by Fr. José Luis Narvaja S.J., the Vatican announced. It is a vast work in 5 volumes, published for the first time by La Civiltà Cattolica.
The texts are compiled and organized according to their chronological order between 1952 and 1991. They follow an itinerary that includes the rectorate of the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires, teaching as dean and professor in the Faculty of Philosophy of the Colegio Máximo de San Miguel, and the role of Fiorito as spiritual father and formator. Numerous writings are dedicated to the Society of Jesus and to spiritual discernment, also with attention to the ecclesial and social context of Latin America and to popular religiosity.
By reading the pages of “Master Fiorito”, as the Pontiff has always called him, we will be able to discover the origin of many of the ideas of Pope Francis, and also the way in which they were originally developed. The Master reflected together with a group of young Jesuits who participated in the theological dialogue of the College, starting from the pastoral experience in the parishes of the interior of the country and of the periphery of Buenos Aires. The “four principles” on which the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium is structured are also the fruit of this collective reflection.
To study the many pages of this work means to enter into the heart of the pontificate and its deep spiritual roots: Fiorito was Bergoglio’s teacher more than any other, as it can be seen.
The Holy Father has decided to present these writings personally and to speak about the figure of Fr. Fiorito in the Hall of the General Congregation of the Society of Jesus at 6.30 p.m. on 13 December 2019, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Pontiff’s priestly ordination.
Francis enriched the Writings with a Preface in which he affirms: “The edition of the Writings of Father Michelangelo Fiorito is a source of consolation for us who have been nurtured by his teachings for many years. These writings will do a great good to the Church as a whole”.
With the publication of this work, La Civiltà Cattolica inaugurates the celebration of its 170th anniversary (1850-2020).
The Writings, in Spanish, will be available in digital format on the website of “La Civiltà Cattolica” (www.laciviltacattolica.it/fiorito), and in paper format on Amazon.
