Ireland’s Special Connection to Pope Francis
Dublin: Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, held a deep affection for Ireland—particularly for the city of Dublin, where he spent a formative period of his life. His time in the Irish capital left a lasting imprint, both on the local Jesuit community and on the man who would later become the head of the Catholic Church.
In January 1980, at the age of 43, Bergoglio arrived in Dublin to improve his English. He took up residence at the Jesuit Centre at the Milltown Institute, then a prominent hub for theological study and religious formation. At the time, Bergoglio had just concluded a challenging tenure as Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina, a role he held during the country’s turbulent military dictatorship.
During his stay, Bergoglio lived simply, occupying a modest room within the Jesuit community. He spent his days immersed in prayer, theological study, and daily English language classes. A ledger entry dated January 21, 1980, notes that he borrowed £14 to purchase language tapes—evidence of his dedication to mastering English, a language in which he initially struggled.
Fr. Michael O’Sullivan, a fellow Jesuit who was at Milltown at the time, recalls that Bergoglio remained mostly quiet and withdrawn due to the language barrier, which limited his interaction with fellow students. Although his stay was originally planned for a full year, Bergoglio returned to Argentina after three months, having found the language particularly challenging. His return was made with the consent of his superiors.
Despite its brevity, Bergoglio’s time in Dublin became a source of inspiration for future generations of students. Fr. Connell O’Quinn SJ, former rector of Milltown, fondly remembers sharing the same residence with the man who would one day become Pope. “He slept under the same roof and walked these same halls,” O’Quinn once remarked. Pope Francis would later return to Ireland in 2018.
Irish Samachar English News
{OR} Kindly click to follow the Irish Samachar News channel on WhatsApp
Comments are closed.