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Presenting Pope Francais

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By: Katie Williams

Staff Reporter

On March 19, 2013, Pope Francis was inaugurated as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Born December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere.

Traditionally, Jesuits are tough and somewhat radical. In 1773, Pope Clement XIV signed a decree, banishing Jesuits from the Roman Catholic Church. However, in 1814, the Jesuits were reinstated as an order of the church. 199 years is an extremely short time in church history, so Pope Francis’s election is a very big deal because of the Jesuits’ short positive standing within the Catholic Church.

As the Buenos Aires cardinal and archbishop, Pope Francis did not accept any of the amenities that come with the title. He preferred a simple apartment, public transportation, and cooking his own meals. As pope, he will lead the same lifestyle, living in apartments with nuns and high priets. He will not occupy the papal apartment. He is obviously an extremely humble man.

Pope Francis chose his papal name after St. Francis of Assisi. Francis of Assisi was the son of wealthy Roman parents, but St. Francis spent much of his adult life with those who most would consider “worthless.” After finishing his pilgrimage, St. Francis joined beggars on the streets of Rome. As Buenos Aires archbishop, Pope Francis spent much of his time working to increase the quality of life for the Argentine poor. Because Pope Francis’s humble lifestyle choices are similar to those of St. Francis of Assisi, the name is very fitting.

Politically, Pope Francis is extremely conservative. He typically does not tolerate Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s radically liberal political views. He does not agree with Argentina’s decisions to legalize same-sex marriage or to offer free oral contraceptives at public medical institutions, and he does not condone the modern Catholic Church’s ideas concerning those topics either.

The time came for the Roman Catholic Church to break out of European tradition, and Pope Francis is the perfect fit. The Catholic cardinals seem to be somewhat distressed about Pope Francis’s conservative views, claiming he has slandered the church. The Roman Catholic cardinals have recently taken liberal views of current international issues, like the aforementioned homosexual marriage. A Bible-believing Christian would not have these views. Pope Francis goes against the grain, believing the Bible above all else.

The cardinals did right to elect Francis as pope after Benedict XVI’s resignation. A man as humble as he is deserving of a position of such power. Pope Francis will diligently work to improve the Roman Catholic Church and ultimately the world.

Although I am not Catholic (I am Methodist), I like what I see thus far. Pope Francis is a man with a great connection to those who are less fortunate, and he strives to follow Christ. The previous Buenos Aires archbishop will leave a lasting legacy for both Catholic and Protestant generations to come.



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