Where did Pope Francis come from?

In an article from the Guardian yesterday, Jonathan Freedland argues that [Why] even atheists should be praying for Pope Francis. The argument is not really about atheists, but simply about liberals - live modestly, serve the poor, attack structures of injustice in one's own life and in society.

However, I did find this one paragraph interesting as it starts to answer some of my questions from yesterday which is - where exactly did Pope Francis come from?

Of course, he is not perfect. His record in Argentina during the era of dictatorship and "dirty war" is far from clean. "He started off as a strict authoritarian, reactionary figure," says Vallely. But, aged 50, Francis underwent a spiritual crisis from which, says his biographer, he emerged utterly transformed. He ditched the trappings of high church office, went into the slums and got his hands dirty.

On the other hand, that does not really clarify matters.There's still the question of pre-mid-century Bergoglio and what it means that his past is far from clean. Here's another article from NCR from last month.

Scavo defends Bergoglio's choice not to engage in overt opposition by comparison to the role of Pope Pius XII during World War II – the price of being able to save lives behind the scenes, Scavo contends, was being careful in public.

"What use would a human rights champion be in jail, or even dead?" Scavo said.

"At the time Bergoglio wasn't known, so a public denunciation by him wouldn't have had any effect on the leaders of the coup," he said. "Let's also not forget that the regime assassinated roughly thirty bishops, priests and sisters, as well a hundred catechists believed to be communists."

Bergoglio was the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina. He might not have been known personally but that position would have given him a certain level of protection that others did not have and a platform from which to speak out against the abuses committed by the regime and the guerrillas domestically and internationally.

I don't get the impression that he collaborated with the junta. He chose not to speak out publicly. Instead he chose to work behind the scenes to help those he could. It's a defensible position even though victims of state repression were asking for the Church to speak out against the violence. I don't know what I would have done under those circumstances.

I understand that many of the attacks against the current Pope are from those who are anti-Church and anti-clerical. But not all the questions are coming from those individuals. As a Catholic and as someone who studies Latin America, I;d also like to hear more from the Pope on his actions and in-actions during a very dark period in Argentine history.