Francis' Strange Vocation: "Those Things You Feel Inside And You Don't Know What They Are"
For Francis’ fiftieth priestly anniversary (December 13), L’Osservatore Romano re-published a 2012 radio-interview of Cardinal Bergoglio in which he spoke about the origin of his vocation to the priesthood.
"I was attending the industrial college, I studied chemistry, and on 21 September [the beginning of Argentinean spring], for this reason I always remember the date, I went out to go for a walk with my companions and I came along the church of Flores.
I went to the church of Flores, in San José. I went in, I felt that I had to go in: those things you feel inside and you don't know what they are.
I looked, it was a bit dark, it was a September morning, maybe 9:00 a.m., and I saw a priest walking. I didn't know him, he wasn't from that church. And he sat in one of the confessionals, the last one on the left looking at the altar.
I don't know what happened then. I had the feeling that someone was grabbing me inside and taking me to the confessional.
Of course, I told him my things, I confessed... but I don't know what happened...
There, I heard that I had to become a priest. I was sure of it, I was sure of it.
Instead of going for a walk with the others, I went back home, because I was emotional. Afterwards, I continued my studies and everything else, but decided to follow that path."
"I was attending the industrial college, I studied chemistry, and on 21 September [the beginning of Argentinean spring], for this reason I always remember the date, I went out to go for a walk with my companions and I came along the church of Flores.
I went to the church of Flores, in San José. I went in, I felt that I had to go in: those things you feel inside and you don't know what they are.
I looked, it was a bit dark, it was a September morning, maybe 9:00 a.m., and I saw a priest walking. I didn't know him, he wasn't from that church. And he sat in one of the confessionals, the last one on the left looking at the altar.
I don't know what happened then. I had the feeling that someone was grabbing me inside and taking me to the confessional.
Of course, I told him my things, I confessed... but I don't know what happened...
There, I heard that I had to become a priest. I was sure of it, I was sure of it.
Instead of going for a walk with the others, I went back home, because I was emotional. Afterwards, I continued my studies and everything else, but decided to follow that path."