【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2013 年 11 月 13 日羅馬慈幼會總部訊】 ─ 1986年5月18日，Cayetano Bruno神父收到一封來自貝戈格利奧神父的信函。信中敘述了現任教宗方濟各因慈幼會澤德修士（現已列為真福）而獲致的經驗，並展示藉著修士的轉禱，耶穌會阿根廷會省的修士聖召如何復甦。

貝戈格利奧神父在開端時寫道：「我特別提及1976年，是因為我正是在這年認識澤德修士。」當年國內最年輕的修士為35歲，卻身體虛弱，四年後死於腦腫瘤。第二年輕的修士為46歲，第三年輕的則已50歲。其餘的修士已經年邁（很多直至現在達80以上高齡時，仍繼續辛勤工作）。這幅我們阿根廷會省修士的「人口圖」，使人們認為我們的情況已無可逆轉，聖召後繼無人。的確，有些人對今天修會（耶穌會）修士聖召的在今日是否適宜提出疑問，因為 ─ 事實上 ─ 修士聖召似乎已注定消失。」

耶穌會士，正如慈幼會士，視修士聖召為一種獨特的聖召生活方式。有關這一點，貝戈格利奧神父評論道：「耶穌會總長雅培魯神父，堅持修士聖召的需要，以維繫修會的完整。他表示若修會沒有修士，便不是原來的修會。」

信函繼續敘述，他到訪耶穌會位於阿根廷北部薩爾塔總教區的會院時，如何與Pérez主教會面，主教告訴他有關澤德修士的一生，並邀請他多認識修士的生平。結果，貝戈格利奧神父決定透過澤德修士的轉禱，向天主祈求更多修士聖召。

他在總結時重申，確信當地修士聖召的復甦，是藉著澤德修士的轉求。

信函全文刊載於慈幼通訊社服務部份。

Letter of Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio regarding Blessed Artemide Zatti

 (ANS - RMG –Roma, 13 November 2013) – On 18 May 1986, Fr Cayetano Bruno,SDB  received a letter from Fr Jorge Mario Bergoglio. The letter recounts the experience that the present Pope Francis had with Artemide Zatti, SDB (now Blessed) and shows how, through his ​​intercession, the Argentine Province of the Society of Jesus had a revival of Brother vocations.

“I am speaking of 1976 as my point of reference because it was then that I came to know of Bro. Zatti. That year our youngest Brother was 35, an infirmarian and four years later would die of a cerebral tumour. The second youngest was 46, and the third, 50. After that they were all elderly (many continuing to work splendidly even today, at 80 or more years of age). This “demographic picture” of our Brothers in the Argentine Province was making many think that we were dealing with an irreversible situation, and that there would be no further vocations. Indeed some were questioning the relevance today of the Brother vocation in the Society (of Jesus), because – given the facts – they seemed destined to extinction”  Thus writes Fr Jorge Mario Bergoglio at the beginning of his letter.

The Jesuits, like the Salesians, regard the Brother vocation as one of the specific ways of living their common vocation. On this Fr Bergoglio commented: “the Father General, Fr Pedro Arrupe, SJ, insisted much on the need of the Brother vocation for the whole Society as a body. He said that the Society would not be the same Society without the Brothers.”

The letter goes on to tell how, on a visit to his Jesuit confreres in the Archdiocese of Salta in northern Argentina, he met Bishop Pérez who spoke to him about the life of Brother Zatti and invited him to read more about him. As a result, Fr Bergoglio decided to ask God, through the intercession of Brother Zatti, for an increase of Brother vocations.

He concluded the letter by reaffirming his conviction that the subsequent revival of vocations to the Brotherhood was due to the intercession of Brother Zatti.

The full text of the letter is available in the Service section of ANS.