In the movie “The Two Popes,” Pope Benedict XVI, of thrice-blessed memory, (played by Anthony Hopkins) tells Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce), in their fictional dialogue: “we all suffer from spiritual pride, all of us. You must remember that you are not God… However, you must believe in the mercy that you preach”. I will drop the evaluation of the movie, which "documents" the event of the late Pope's stepping down, for reasons, some of which it alludes to. What I want is for us to notice what its producers expect from high-ranking clergymen. They expect obvious things, among which I mention, for example, the courage to repent, the humble listening to the reforming truth, and the recognition of the talents of others... Pope Benedict, by repeatedly saying: "we all", did not mean to refrain from personal confession, but rather to stress the unexpected by placing himself among those who are in need of mercy. If you have not watched this movie, I encourage you to do so.
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