
Vatican City, Jul 9, 2017 / 09:16 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During his 22 years as spokesman for St. John Paul II, Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls became somewhat of a legend in the Vatican – not only for his keen professional abilities and insight into the Pope’s mind, but also for his genuine kindness and deep spiritual life.
In a word, most who knew the late Spanish layman, who died earlier this week, have referred to him as a “gentleman” who was elegant, professional, kind and incredibly savvy.
Fr. John Wauck, a longtime friend of Navarro-Valls, described him as “an old-school gentleman and a consummate professional – capable, discreet, committed, loyal.”
Likewise, Greg Burke, current Director of the Holy See Press Office, said after announcing news of Navarro’s passing on Twitter that “Joaquin Navarro embodied what Ernest Hemingway defined as courage: grace under pressure.”
Burke said that he had met Navarro-Valls while working as a correspondent for Time Magazine the same year that the publication had named St. John Paul II “Man of the Year.”
In dealing with the Pope’s spokesman, Burke said “I expected to find a man of faith, but I found a man of faith who was also a first class professional” that was already well known and respected by his peers in the communications world.
“I didn’t always agree with Navarro, but he always behaved like a Christian gentlemen – and those can be hard to find these days,” Burke said.
Navarro-Valls was born in Cartagena, Spain in 1936. He studied medicine at the Universities in Granada and Barcelona, and worked as a professional psychiatrist and teaching medicine before obtaining degrees in journalism and communications.
He joined Opus Dei after meeting its founder St. Josemaria Escriva, continuing to collaborate with the founder in Rome, where he moved in 1970.
In Rome he was a correspondent for the Spanish newspaper ABC and was twice elected president of the Rome-based Foreign Press Association in Italy.
He was the first lay journalist to hold the position of Director of the Vatican Press Office, which he was appointed to by Pope St. John Paul II in 1984. He served through the Pope’s death and two years into the pontificate of Benedict XVI before retiring in 2006.
After, he served as president of the advisory board of the Opus Dei-affiliated Campus Biomedical University in Rome until his death.
In his tenure at the Vatican Press Office spanning more than two decades, Navarro-Valls helped to modernize Vatican communications, especially as technology advanced. As Burke said, “he lived through the fax to the age of the internet.”
In 1992, he used $2 million to equip the press office with up-to-date technology and to modernize the facilities. He also streamlined the distribution of materials by making archives, documents and the Pope’s activities accessible online.
He died in Rome July 5 surrounded by fellow members of Opus Dei after battling terminal cancer. His funeral was held Thursday, July 6 at 11a.m. at the basilica of Sant’Eugenio, and was celebrated by the Vicar General of Opus Dei, Bishop Mariano Fazio.
Mario Biasetti, a journalist under the last five popes and a friend and colleague of Navarro-Valls, said he was a professional journalist, and it showed in everything he did.
Even when a colleague or a journalist would ask him a tough question, “it didn’t faze him,” Biasetti said. “He would tell you exactly what happened, but he would do it with a smile.”
“Joachin Navarro was a very well thought of man all-around. He had no difficulty to speak with anybody, whether officially or not officially.”
Biasetti traveled on many papal trips with John Paul II, and Navarro was always there and always by his side, he said. He was also always willing to pitch in and “always came through” for journalists with whatever they needed.
For Burke, one of the key things that stood out about Navarro-Valls is that he was someone who would work “shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of us,” who “knew the world” and was good with languages.
Burke noted that before coming to the Vatican, Navarro worked as a correspondent, “and his colleagues from around the globe clearly recognized his merits, electing him President of the Stampa Estera in Rome.”
“I remember watching Navarro closely during the U.N. Population Conference in Cairo – one of the best examples of what Pope Francis calls ideological colonization. It was fascinating to see someone who was defending the faith, but he wasn’t on the defensive. He was leading the fight.”
Asked about what, if any, advice he had given Burke on doing the job, the spokesman said the advice he got “was more personal than professional, such as ‘don’t neglect your interior life, and make sure you pray – you’ll need it in this job.’”
This attention to the spiritual life is something that was also obvious to others who worked with Navarro. In Biasetti’s words, the Spaniard “was a journalist, yes, but he was also a churchman.”
Fr. Wauck, a professor of the Institutional Church Communications faculty at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and a fellow member of Opus Dei, recalled that this spiritual dynamic was evident even in Navarro’s work.
The priest said that when he thinks of Navarro, the first thing that comes to mind is “the conversion of the Time magazine reporter Wilton Wynn,” a well-known old-time reporter in the Middle East and Rome during John Paul II’s pontificate.
“Naturally, it was the vibrant Christian example of the Pope that attracted Wilton to the faith, but his long friendship with Navarro-Valls played a key part as well,” Wauck said, adding that Navarro-Valls “maintained an affectionate concern for Wilton’s spiritual well-being for the rest of his life.”
Another memory the priest recalled is “a small act of kindness” that took place over the summer some 15 years ago.
Fr. Wauck said that he had mentioned, in passing, in front of Navarro, that he had broken his swimming goggles. “The next day, I found a new pair on my desk, and they were much better than the ones I’d broken.”
Fr. Federico Lombardi, Navarro-Valls’ immediate successor as Director of the Holy See Press Office, also reflected on his relationship with his late predecessor, calling to mind Navarro’s character and impact on Vatican communications.
Lombardi recalled meeting Navarro after coming to Rome in 1991 to take on the role as Director of Programming for Vatican Radio.
After meeting and working alongside the Spaniard, particularly when the Pope traveled abroad, it immediately became clear that he was “a stable and important component” of the papal entourage, “but also likeable, friendly and cordial,” Lombardi said.
“Naturally I already knew him for his fame as a brilliant and competent ‘spokesman’ for the Pope,” he said, noting that the official title for someone in Navarro’s position is “Director of the Holy See Press Office.”
However, in the case of Navarro-Valls, spokesman “was an entirely appropriate name.”
Even if this wasn’t the official description of his duty – which was rather “Director of the Press Office” – it must be said that in his case it was an entirely appropriate name given the close relationship he had with John Paul II.
According to Lombardi, it was Navarro himself who often stressed that it was “absolutely necessary to have – and to indeed have – a direct relationship with the Pope, in order to know his thinking and line of thought with surety and clarity, and to be able to present himself to the world, to the Press Office and to public opinion as an authoritative interpreter of that thought, and not just hearsay.”
Throughout Navarro’s lengthy tenure working in the Vatican, there was absolutely “no doubt” that “he was very close to the Pope, so close that he must be considered one of the most important figures of that extraordinary pontificate.”
This, Lombardi said, is “not only because of his evident public visibility, but also for his role as intervention and advice. Certainly John Paul II had great confidence in him and held his service in high esteem.”
Burke, who is Lombardi’s successor as Director of the Holy See Press Office, referred to this relationship when he announced Navarro’s passing, posting a photo of him standing next to John Paul II with a big smile.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”tl” dir=”ltr”>Joaquin Navarro, 1936-2017.<br>Keep Smiling. <a href=”https://t.co/VCqL4GH5sS”>pic.twitter.com/VCqL4GH5sS</a></p>— Greg Burke (@GregBurkeRome) <a href=”https://twitter.com/GregBurkeRome/status/882672100091322370″>July 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
“I tweeted out a photo of Navarro-Valls and John Paul II smiling together, saying ‘Navarro, keep smiling.’ But I actually took that quote from John Paul II,” he said.
It was after a meeting between the Pope and the editors of Time Magazine, Burke explained. Navarro was standing off to the side a little, but smiling, happy with how things had gone and Pope St. John Paul II, noticing, said to him in English: “keep smiling.”
“You could tell that they had a very, very good relationship,” he said.
When it came to Navarro’s professional abilities, Lombardi said that at U.N. conferences the Spaniard would end up playing a primary and even diplomatic role, thanks to his “experience and communicative ability.”
“His intelligence, elegance and relational abilities were prominent. To that is added a great knowledge of languages and a true genius in presenting news and information content in a brilliant, attractive and concise way,” Lombardi said.
These are all gifts that made Navarro “an ideal person as a point of reference in the Vatican for the international information providers, but also for relations” with people in the public, communications and political spheres.
As both a layman and a consecrated member of Opus Dei, Navarro could be counted on as a competent and respected professional, but also as someone “whose dedication and faithful love of the Church could really be counted on, for the effective availability of both time and heart.”
For Lombardi, the lengthy duration of Navarro’s service as Director of the Press Office, his authoritativeness, efficiency and the quality of his work make his tenure “an age that will likely remain unique in the history of the Press Office and of Vatican communications.”
“Certainly, the dimension of communications and public relations in the immense pontificate of John Paul II cannot in any way be independent of Dr. Navarro’s work and personality,” he said. “It was an invaluable service to the Church.”
Lombardi voiced his gratitude to Navarro, specifically for the “courtesy and attention” he showed during the time they worked together.
“I always considered him a teacher in the way of carrying out his service and I never would have imagined to be called to succeed him,” Lombardi said, adding that his predecessor was “totally inimitable.”
“In the context of a different pontificate I tried to interpret and carry out the task assigned to me as best as I knew how, but preserving, for what was possible, his precious legacy,” he said.
Lombardi and Navarro remained friends even after the latter stepped down. For Lombardi, his predecessor was always “an example of a discreet, true and deep spiritual life, fully integrated with his work, a model of dedication to the service of the Pope and the Church, a teacher in communications.”
“Even for me – as I already said, but I willingly repeat – he was inimitable.”
[…]
Very revealing.
What a racket this whole thing has been from the start.
Lord, grant me patience but hurry.
I feel that if we all in the Catholic Church focus on Jesus Christ and His teachings we will better prepared to meet HIM in the end.
Synodity will pull our focus from HIM and focus on politics of the church organization.
Just saying
Would we expect less from this Vatican?
We read today on X Cardinal Paglia’s attempt to provide positive spin to the Olympic sacrilege. We read today read today at another Catholic website unwilling to publish my comment “…synodality, a novel theological concept…”
Just these two occurrences are indicative of serious ecclesial derangement.
Synodality is project to eviscerate Roman Catholicism of its core substance while retaining the brand, the perks and whatever is left of its cultural influence. Stroll back in time and see if any faithful bishop or layman anticipated this “development” in 1965. Only the closeted Marxists.
This project termed “synodality” is not a theological concept in actuality. It is a political movement masked in an Orthodox practice mutilated in order to provide some sort of apostolic cover to a boldly disingenuous enterprise.
The results of a deleted poll are an accurate snapshot of the “sensus fidelium” which required erasure if the project were to retain any credence. The actual “sensus fidelium” undermines the foundation of this masquerade. The stats reporting weekly Mass attendance and the absence of belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist are a poll, are the real “sensum fidei” which cannot be ignored or erased. A sizable portion, the majority of the baptized, don’t believe. Structural alternations in the administration of the Church are meaningless and impotent for the salvation of souls. The energy given to synodalism had best be diverted to actual accurate catechesis of youth and the evangelization of adults.
Synodalism is a disingenuous afront to the faithful, and above all to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We read: “This project termed ‘synodality’ is not a theological concept in actuality. It is a political movement masked in an Orthodox practice mutilated in order to provide some sort of apostolic cover to a boldly disingenuous enterprise.”
Yes, rather than a concept like a real synod, instead cross-dressed as a “style.” As in corporate boardroom proceduralism–or the style–of just moving things along. With Marshall McLuhan, the “medium [process] IS the message [or concept].”
Peter – Who said: “This project termed ‘synodality’ is not a theological concept in actuality. It is a political movement masked in an Orthodox practice mutilated in order to provide some sort of apostolic cover to a boldly disingenuous enterprise.”
Thanks!
Right. I see it now, in James’ comment.
It is clearly the Freemasonic Entreprise to liquidate the Catholic Church, erecting a Superlodge in its place which can be subsumed into the system.
Right. Weinandy at The Catholic Thing sees sins against the Holy Spirit among the Paris Olympian revelers at the Herodian-style Last Supper masquerade. The lie and the farce of Synodality, as you say, does likewise affront the goodness of God. May he have mercy on us.
Pardon me, but I can’t help compare the Vatican Synod Office to Nazi Germany’s Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment. Unfortunately for the Synod Office truth can be troublesome. Folks aren’t enlightened.
But thanks to Catholic Faith Technologies, a Kansas based management resource for parishes the Synod has a scapegoat, the scurrilous bad boy US Catholic Church. Business is business and so we carry on. As expected the Synod recommendations will be going forward to be implemented in parishes.
God bless you Father for making a bold and necessary comparison. Strong language is needed to try and shake up someone at the Vatican. Among my prayers is that I wish someone, with the opportunity, would only read the riot act to Francis at a one on one meeting.
Edward, if you recall, Capuchin theologian Fr Thomas Weinandy wrote the equivalent of a riot act letter to Pope Francis that was ignored, and resulted in his dismissal from his position as theologian consultant to the USCCB. We may have reached the point when someone might personally determine to confront him as you say.
Catherine of Siena traveled to Avignon to personally convince Pope Gregory XI [born in France] to return the papacy to Rome [apparently he had made a personal vow to return the papacy to Rome that Catherine was aware of, and she reminded him]. She castigated him and questioned his manhood. She eventually succeeded in convincing him. A similarly impassioned woman [we men seem to defer more easily to women. With all due propriety I might add there are a couple of gals that write on this site that would qualify] might have more success than a cardinal or bishop. Although I personally doubt anyone will succeed in convincing Francis from changing his agenda.
This is almost, but not quite – funny.
Surprising? No.
The current Vatican crew proves once again that bad news is no news…all about marketing, spin and Francis ever since they butchered the Vatican danged good reference site and turned it into a marketing machine for Francis.
Perhaps someone with more knowledge would be able to answer my question–is the internet, specifically social media, something that people in Africa (outside of the big cities), Asia (especially China, which is Communist), the Middle East, and South America (outside of the big cities) have easy access to? It sounds like the supporters of synodality thought the survey sounded like “North America”–well, of course it does, since even toddlers in the U.S. have social media accounts and it makes sense that the majority of the surveys were filled out by Americans and other countries with a huge online presence by the people! But is the rest of the world as “online” as those of us in the U.S.? (Disclosure–other than online forums like this one, I am not involved with any social media.) I honestly do not know the answer to this question–for all I know, every African, even those living in a primitive setting, uses social media. Thank you to anyone who can answer my questioN!
Internet censorship in China (do this search)
our major adversaries do not have freedom of the press and unfortunately, we’re headed that way as well due to suppression
“Everyone, everyone, everyone.”
Except for 88.1 percent of the faithful.
Figures.
Every leftist is motivated by envisioning himself as possessing greater levels of “compassion” not only of others, but of the whole of prior history. Their conceit will not allow them to even contemplate that there is no compassion without suffering with the suffering, everyone among the suffering. Were they to do so, they might reexamine their pretenses.
Not surprised, in this age or”relative truth” even the Church resorts to selective truth. Not that polls should be used at all. The Church is NOT a democracy and should not be governed by majority assent.
James, you’re obviously not in favor of Synodolatry then, eh?
Contemptuous Vatican bureaucrats.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Mises’ epic tome Bureaucracy.
From the introduction:
“The terms bureaucrat, bureaucratic, and bureaucracy are clearly invectives. Nobody calls himself a bureaucrat or his own methods of management bureaucratic. These words are always applied with an opprobrious connotation. They always imply a disparaging criticism of persons, institutions, or procedures. Nobody doubts that bureaucracy is thoroughly bad and that it should not exist in a perfect world.”
However, Catholic Faith Technologies Vice President Jonathan Lewis offered a different take on the online poll, arguing that the results said more about respondents than synodality.
“Based on the top comments and poll results, this post reiterates the reality of North American resistance to synodality compared with the global Church,” Lewis said on X.
It’s always great to hear from one of my superiors.
Do share any data you have on synodality’s popularity around the world, Mr. Lewis.
It sounds like they can’t handle the truth.
What is astounding is that 12% actually buy into synodality. That’s 1 poor Catholic in ten who still have not understood the difference between Catholicism and Bergoglio’s Cancel-Culture.
The conversion of the faithful will always be based on clarifying our path to Jesus Chrit. It does not come by turning from Tradition or established doctrine. The SonS is not present an opportunity for greater holiness or faithfulness. It is something else.
Now the entire Church can get the message of the venomous disrespect that this pontificate has held for Catholics who are Catholic for eleven years.
Anti-Synodaling of the common man must be suppressed for sake of a Synodaling Church.
Synodal-ai-EEE-whooo!
Who?
Not me, say we Catholics in the pews.
I guess the proponents of a “Listening Church” only really mean listening to opinions that reinforce their predetermined biases.
In a way, an honest synod would be a good thing, a prelates only synod, as they’re meant to be. But it would have to be honest, non-cowards only. A synod of prelates united in telling Francis what damage he has done to Catholic witness, and it must stop!
Like Terrence said, I also laughed with the 88.1. % at the idiocy of synodality- but the error of grave sins in heterodoxy is too appalling.
For “Yodeler” Brineyman herein, thx for the “lol”:
“Don’t-know-who” a while ago on this CWR stream shared/coined the definition of “SIN-NOD”- but “it fits”!!
Apparently, the Pope doesn’t understand that like Hell, the internet is forever.
Somehow I don’t think that the comment section was mistakenly deleted.
How ANTI-synodal of them.
I first heard “SIN-NOD” from Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s World Over Live, many years ago well before COVID-19.
It sure is proving a NOD in the direction of SIN.
Hey there it also proves EWTN is cutting edge and up to mark to Mother Angelica’s honour and the Church’s -against all the naysayers.
We had “synodalism” introduced in our Archdiocese late 1990’s and the lodge boys who got invited would say they had to go “sigh nod” and fulfill their duty.
Ride Posse!
‘ “They repeat very often that it’s a pastoral direction. And so they say, we want to avoid the confusion, though they said many things, which only made bigger confusion,” Cardinal Zen noted. ‘
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/cardinal-zen-discusses-his-new-book-for-lent-and-concerns-for-the-church
I am accused of not following the “Hermeneutics of continuity” when criticizing the “Fiducia supplicans”!?
https://oldyosef.hkdavc.com/?p=2043