The Catholic Church has a new Pope, the first Latin-American Pope from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Those who know him, they know he always kept a very low profile and used public transportation to travel. A big fan also of San Lorenzo Argentine football team.
Pope Francis (Hover)
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Becomes Pope Francis to Lead Catholics
The archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has been selected to become the next Pope, leading the Catholic Church. The new pontiff is the Argentine-born son of an Italian railway worker and is seen as a compassionate conservative.
According to most reports, Cardinal Bergoglio came in second during the 2005 balloting that ultimately elected Benedict XVI. He is 76-years-old and the Jesuit is said to highly regard simplicity and humility and would encourage priests to engage in evangelical pursuits to rebuild the Catholic Church.
New Pope Francis Called Abortion the "Death Penalty for the Unborn"
The archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has been selected to become the next Pope, leading the Catholic Church. Like his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, he is a staunch pro-life advocate when it comes to abortion.
He once called abortion a "death sentence" for unborn children, during a 2007 speech and likening opposition to abortion to opposition to the death penalty. Source 9
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina has been elected the next pope. He has taken the name Francis
He is the first South American pope. Until last year, Bergoglio was the archbishop of Buenos Aires before stepping down because of his age. He is 76.
"The duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome, and it seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am," he told the crowd in Vatican City on Wednesday night.
Bergoglio is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them and a follower of the church's most conservative wing. Ref. CNN
If he is a true conservative then it is likely the Catholic liberals will not get some of the things they were hoping for from the new Pope.
I like the photo, the Argentine sun behind his head makes it look as though it is radiating on him.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, was ordained for the Jesuits on Dec. 13, 1969, but chose the papal name Francis instead of the Jesuit-founder Ignatius. Ref. USAToday
Why Pope Francis is a surprise pick
The choice of new pontiff was not foreshadowed prominently on the short lists of various experts.
Source: Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines
I just edited the title because I heard the Vatican spokesman saying the name of the new Pope is Francis and not Francis I. It's interesting though that not other Pope chose that name before, taking into consideration how popular St. Francis of Assisi is within the Catholicism.
A couple of interesting things he did so far:
1. I read that Pope Francis refused to use both the car designated for the Pope and an official vehicle of the Vatican. He saw the driver with the limousine and asked him if he had a simple car and the driver showed him the bus that was parked a few meters away, so he took it with the rest of the cardinals.
2. He also refused the gold cross they usually give to the Pope when they give the first speech, choosing instead his own silver (and stained) cross.
3. When he was giving his speech, it is customary that the Pope blesses the people, instead he asked the people for a blessing and prayers.
4. During his speech, the Pope usually uses an artifact that would lift him and make him rise above the rest of the cardinals, but he refused to do so and said instead that he wants to be in the ground like the rest of the cardinals.
5. He also joked around with the rest of the cardinals and told them he hopes "God forgives them for the choice they made".
A Catholic Viewpoint: Survival Requires Orthodoxy
Religious Based News
Host Scott Simon talks with Catholic Mary Eberstadt, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, about what she hopes to see from Pope Francis. She argues that in an increasingly secular world, orthodoxy is what will keep the church vital.
Source: Religion