When a Friend Leaves ...

By Abraham Skorka Georgetown University, Washington D.C. As soon as he was elected Pope, Francis called me on the phone and gave me the email address we could use to keep in touch with each other. From that day in March 2013 until now, we have addressed each other in our correspondence as “Dear Brother.” Our friendship began in the second half of the 1990s and has been characterized by mutual respect and sincere, direct dialogue ever since. Gradually, we revealed ourselves to one another, opening our hearts. We built an open dialogue, where disagreements were common, and silences often filled the gaps. We had different views on many topics, but this never diminished the strength of our conversations. We aimed to develop a dialogue in the most profound sense of the term. Whether he was the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires or the Pope, ...