In a touching and powerful segment of Father Simon Says, Fr. Richard Simon transported listeners back to the days when Pope Francis was simply Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires—already a humble shepherd with a profound heart for the poor and the marginalized.
Fr. Simon recalled how Archbishop Bergoglio passionately worked to remove obstacles that kept families, especially those in poverty, from having their children baptized. “No red tape,” Fr. Simon said. “He just wanted babies baptized.”
But one of the most moving stories Fr. Simon shared was that of an astonishing Eucharistic miracle that took place under Bergoglio’s watch. In a Buenos Aires church, a discarded consecrated host left in a candle holder was placed in water to dissolve, as is customary. But instead of dissolving, the host began to change. Over the course of two years, it transformed into what appeared to be a piece of bloody flesh.
Rather than ignore it, Archbishop Bergoglio took action. He even asked an atheist psychiatrist friend to oversee a scientific investigation—one that would ultimately lead to that friend’s conversion.
Samples were sent anonymously to laboratories in Brazil and the United States. The findings were staggering:
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The sample was human heart tissue.
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It came from the left ventricle, which pumps blood throughout the body.
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The tissue showed signs of extreme trauma, consistent with torture.
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Most stunning of all: the tissue was alive when sampled.
The pathologist in the U.S. was shocked when told the sample had originated as a consecrated host.
Fr. Simon reminded listeners that this same Archbishop became Pope Francis, a man who, even in death, continues pointing us to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
“Thank you, Pope Francis,” Fr. Simon said, “for helping us believe more deeply that God shows up—in bread, in flesh, and in love.”
Stay tuned to Relevant Radio and the Relevant Radio App for continued coverage and reflections on the life and legacy of Pope Francis. For more information on the conclave, sign up here to receive updates.
