Pope Francis has often spoken effectively about the importance of Baptism, and on several occasions he has asked the faithful if they can remember the day on which they became a Christian. Jorge Mario Bergoglio retains a vivid memory of the Italian Salesian Enrique Pozzoli, who baptized him on 25 December 1936, as it is intimately tied to his vocation. On 20 October 1990, in Co虂rdoba, the Jesuit typed out a detailed, six-page letter setting down his memories of Pozzoli, to fulfill a promise he had made to Salesian Cayetano Bruno, a historian of the Church in Argentina.

Fr. Pozzoli was very close to the S铆vori family鈥攎ama鈥檚 family鈥攚ho lived on Quintino Bocayuva 556. Mama鈥檚 brothers, especially the eldest, were very close to him鈥�. As a family, we always turned to him whenever there was a problem, or when we needed help or advice. He baptized us all, except my second brother because (in January-February 1938) Fr. Pozzoli was in Usuaiah. Several times during the year (generally for Sant鈥橢nrico) he came to lunch at Quintino Bacayuva 556, the home of my maternal grandparents鈥�, and we would all get together there and celebrate with ravioli. He was the spiritual father of the family.

In 1955 he played a decisive role in the story of my vocation. On 21 September 1954 I got thrown from a horse鈥�. I went to confession鈥nd there 鈥� and without sitting at the tax desk like the saint of the day [Matthew] 鈥� the Lord was awaiting me 鈥�miserando et eligendo.鈥�

Then and there I had no doubts that I should become a priest. I felt my vocation for the first time at Ramos Meji虂a, during the sixth grade, and I spoke about it with the famous 鈥渇isherman鈥� of vocations, Fr Marti虂nez SDB. But then I began secondary school and 鈥済oodbye!鈥� I was studying Chemistry at the Scientific School of Industry and I used to pass long periods of time (especially in the summer) at my maternal grandparents鈥� home鈥�.

I didn鈥檛 say anything at home until November 1955: that year I was qualifying at the Industrial School (it was a six year program) and I enrolled for technical chemistry. At home they were doubtful. They were practicing Catholics...but they wanted me to wait for some years while studying at the University. Since I knew how the conflict would end, I went to Fr Pozzoli and told him everything. He examined my vocation. He told me to pray and to leave everything in God鈥檚 hands. He gave me the blessing of Mary Help of Christians. Every time I recite Sub tuum praesidium... I think of him.

Naturally at home the idea came up [from my parents]: why not talk to Fr Pozzoli? And I, with the best face in the world, said 鈥測es.鈥� I can still remember the scene. It was 12 December 1955. Papa and Mama were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. The celebration was a Mass (only my parents and the five children) in the San Jos茅 di Flores parish. Fr Pozzoli was to celebrate it. Once the Mass had ended, Papa invited him to breakfast at the 鈥淧earl of Flores鈥� pastry shop鈥�. Papa thought that Fr Pozzoli would not accept because he asked him if he could (I think that otherwise we would have gone home, six blocks away), but Fr Pozzoli (who knew what the topic of discussion would be) accepted without hesitation. What freedom of spirit and readiness to help a vocation!

Halfway through breakfast the subject was raised. Fr Pozzoli said that University was a good thing but that things should be undertaken when God wants them to be undertaken, ...and he began recounting various vocation stories (without taking sides), and at the end he told the story of his own vocation. He told us how a priest had suggested that he become a priest, how in just a few short years he had become a subdeacon, then deacon and priest... how he had been given what he had not expected....

Well, at this point 鈥渇inally鈥� my parents鈥� hearts had melted. Naturally Fr Pozzoli didn鈥檛 end by telling them to let me enter seminary nor did he demand a decision from them... He simply knew that he had to 鈥渟often鈥� them... and the rest took care of itself. It was just like him: 鈥渦na de cal y otra de arena 鈥� the Spanish would say [鈥渓ime and sand鈥�, which is equivalent to the English 鈥渢he carrot and stick approach鈥漖. One didn鈥檛 know his intention...but he did; and generally he didn鈥檛 want to reach the point where one would recognize that 鈥渉e had won.鈥� When he 鈥渨hiffed鈥� that he was about to get what he wanted, he withdrew before the others realized it. Then the decision came on its own, freely from those with whom he was speaking. They didn鈥檛 feel forced...but he had prepared their hearts. He had sown, and [sown] well鈥ut he left the enjoyment of the harvest to others.

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