IN MEMORIA: Pallottine Martyrs of Belgrano

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In the early hours of July 4th 1976, five members of the Pallottine community at San Patricio, Belgrano, were taken from their beds and executed in the living room of their presbytery. It was during the era of military dictatorship in Argentina.

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Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything that is now hidden will be made clear.

Jesus spoke these words to us a few weeks ago, reminding us that God scrutinises the heart and soul, uncovering what is hidden within us and revealing what is truly there.

There are times when what God reveals to us about ourselves calls us to be converted, to change and to try to improve certain areas of our lives. But the scrutiny of God also seeks to uncover what is authentic within us: who we truly are, who I truly am, in my authentic self, deep within my heart and my soul. To uncover and to use it in His plan of salvation.

I was walking in the garden at Pallotti House in Dublin, and I found an old statue of Our Lady propped up against a wall. It was absolutely weather-beaten. The face was worn away, there were holes in it, and it was in a very, very poor state.

My instinct, with anything that is damaged, is to try to repair it or restore it. But I do not know how to restore damaged statues. So I did what I know best: I took a photograph of it and brought the photograph to ChatGPT. I asked ChatGPT to do certain things with the statue. 

Through that process, there emerged this beautiful image of Our Lady. I had asked for a white veil, a white cloak, and a pink dress, and she looked absolutely wonderful. I thought, “Isn’t this amazing?” I was astonished by what had emerged.

But the more I looked at it the more I was drawn back to the original damaged statue of Our Lady. I felt there was something authentic about that because the AI image is actually false. It is created; it is made up. Whereas the reality is the weather-beaten statue that stands in the garden.

And I think that is what God is saying to us, that he does not seek a flawless version of ourselves but what is real. 

When we honour our five Pallottine brothers who were martyred, we are not turning them into flawless AI images of themselves or of Christ. We celebrate authentic lives that were moved with compassion, like the heart of Jesus Himself who looked on His people with sorrow because "they were harassed and dejected." But He did not just feel sorry or compassionate, he did something about His people's suffering by  "proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness." The Heart of Christ is the wounded heart, He is the wounded healer.

Fathers Alfredo Leaden, Peter Dufau and Alfredo Kelly became "other Christs" - alter Christus - by ordination, identified with Him in a very distinctive way. Emilio and Salvador, already one with Christ in Baptism, aspired to and desired the same priestly union with Christ.

None of them were AI images of Jesus but, in their authentic selves, they were moved with His  compassion for the sufferings of their people, their country. They laid down their lives every day in ministry; the red carpet of San Patricio became their final altar of sacrifice where their bodies were broken and blood poured out for the salvation of the world. 

"Do this I'm memory of me" said Jesus. It was done to them according to His Word.

In fidelity to the call of Jesus in today's Gospel, we pray that others will take up Christ's invitation to follow Him as authentic, wounded priests of the Sacred Mysteries and that all of us will follow Him more faithfully in the service of each other. Amen. 


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Todo lo que ahora está cubierto será descubierto, y todo lo que ahora está oculto será puesto en evidencia.

Jesús nos habló estas palabras hace unas semanas, recordándonos que Dios escruta el corazón y el alma, sacando a la luz lo que está escondido dentro de nosotros y revelando lo que realmente hay.

Hay momentos en que lo que Dios nos revela sobre nosotros mismos nos llama a convertirnos, a cambiar y a intentar mejorar ciertas áreas de nuestra vida. Pero el escrutinio de Dios también busca descubrir lo auténtico que hay en nosotros: quiénes somos de verdad, quién soy yo en mi ser auténtico, en lo más profundo de mi corazón y de mi alma. Descubrirlo y usarlo en su plan de salvación.

Caminaba por el jardín de Pallotti House en Dublín y encontré una estatua antigua de la Virgen apoyada contra una pared. Estaba completamente castigada por el clima. El rostro estaba desgastado, tenía agujeros, y estaba en un estado realmente muy pobre.

Mi instinto, ante cualquier cosa dañada, es intentar repararla o restaurarla. Pero no sé cómo restaurar estatuas dañadas. Así que hice lo que mejor sé hacer: le saqué una foto y llevé la foto a ChatGPT. Le pedí a ChatGPT que hiciera ciertas cosas con la estatua.

A través de ese proceso surgió una imagen bellísima de la Virgen. Yo había pedido un velo blanco, un manto blanco y un vestido rosa, y se veía absolutamente maravillosa. Pensé: “¿No es increíble?” Estaba asombrado por lo que había surgido.

Pero cuanto más la miraba, más volvía a sentirme atraído por la estatua original, dañada, de la Virgen. Sentí que había algo auténtico en ella, porque la imagen creada por IA es, en realidad, falsa. Es creada; es inventada. Mientras que la realidad es la estatua castigada por el clima que está en el jardín.Y creo que eso es lo que Dios nos dice: que Él no busca una versión impecable de nosotros, sino lo que es real.

Cuando honramos a nuestros cinco hermanos palotinos que fueron martirizados, no los convertimos en imágenes impecables generadas por IA de ellos mismos o de Cristo. Celebramos vidas auténticas que se movieron con compasión, como el corazón del mismo Jesús, que miró a su pueblo con dolor porque “estaban acosados y abatidos”. Pero Él no solo sintió pena o compasión: hizo algo por el sufrimiento de su pueblo “proclamando la Buena Noticia del Reino y curando toda enfermedad y dolencia”. El Corazón de Cristo es un corazón herido; Él es el sanador herido.

Los padres Alfredo Leaden, Pedro Dufau y Alfredo Kelly se convirtieron en “otros Cristos” —alter Christus— por la ordenación, identificados con Él de un modo muy particular. Emilio y Salvador, ya unidos a Cristo por el Bautismo, aspiraban y deseaban esa misma unión sacerdotal con Cristo.

Ninguno de ellos era una imagen de Jesús generada por IA, sino que, en su verdadero ser, se dejaron mover por la compasión de Cristo ante el sufrimiento de su pueblo y de su país. Entregaron su vida cada día en el ministerio; la alfombra roja de San Patricio se convirtió en su último altar de sacrificio, donde sus cuerpos fueron quebrados y su sangre derramada para la salvación del mundo.“Hagan esto en memoria mía”, dijo Jesús. Y se cumplió en ellos según su Palabra.

En fidelidad al llamado de Jesús en el Evangelio de hoy, pedimos que otros acepten la invitación de Cristo a seguirlo como sacerdotes auténticos y heridos de los Sagrados Misterios, y que todos nosotros lo sigamos con mayor fidelidad en el servicio mutuo. Amén.



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