Catholic Church Gets New Pope: Pope Francis I
Finally, the Catholic Church has gotten a new Pope. Cardinal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio from Argentina has been elected the New Pope. He has chosen
Pope Francis as his papal name. He is from Argentina and the first South
American to be elected a Pope. He is a Jesuit priest and the first
Jesuit to be elected a Pope as well.
Born inBetween 1973 and 1979, he served as Provincial Superior for Argentina.
On
February 28 1998, he was appointed bishop for the Eastern Catholics in
Argentina. On February 2001, he was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul
II. On November 8 2005 he was elected President of the Argentine
Episcopal Conference for a three year term that was renewed on November
11, 2008.
He majored in Pastoral work as a theologian
and this is advantageous to his papcy. Besides, he is a strict defender
of the Catholic doctrine and faith. He opposed the Argentine government
on issues bordering on abortion, same sex marriage, distribution of
contraceptives, child adoption by same sex couples, social justice, etc.
He
is an influential and respected cleric and prelate. In 2005, he was
elected a member of the Post-Synodal Council during the 2005 Synod of
Bishops. His participation in that Synod may have brought him to
limelight among bishops as many writers think.
The new
pope has been a gentleman right from time. Beside this, he is popularly
known for his simplicity and humility. He was first ordained as one of
three axillary bishops and he dedicated most of his time to counseling
priests and hearing confessions. When he was installed the bishop, he
preferred to live in a small apartment, rather than in the palatial
bishop's
residence. He gave up his chauffeured limousine in favor of public
transportation and he reportedly cooked his own meals.
He
is a reformer and a builder who created several new parishes in his
diocese. We wish him all the best in his pontificate as the 266th
successor of St. Peter.
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