A Week of Firsts - Pope Francis

A Week of Firsts The “Bergoglio comeback” and insights from Vatican-watchers into what we can expect from Pope Francis By Michael Severance Certainly, last Wednesday was not the first time many faithful had personally witnessed the exciting Habemus Papam! pronounced from St. Peter’s loggia. Many folks, just like me, were right there in St. Peter’s Square only eight years ago when a shy Benedict appeared before a spill-over crowd. Still others, now graying and with grandchildren, were there on John Paul I’s or John Paul II’s first day nearly 35 years ago. We now have the first Jesuit pope. And the first pope named Francis. He is the first non-European pope since Gregory III, an eighth-century Syrian. And we now have the very first pope from the Americas. Read “A Week of Firsts” The Pope and the Poor A Jesuit reflects on the new pontificate and the problem of poverty By James V. Schall, SJ The day following the election of the archbishop of Buenos Aires to the papacy, I must have received fifty e-mails from friends and family asking if I knew the man or had any comment on him. What struck me was how little we knew about him. If he has a paper trail (the previous three popes had extensive ones), it is yet to reach us, though I did read the following comment from a statement in Buenos Aires a couple of years ago: “We hope legislators, heads of state, and health professionals, conscious of the dignity of human life and the rootedness of the family in our peoples, will defend and protect it from the abominable crimes of abortion and euthanasia, that is their responsibility.” I presume Ignatius Press is busily translating and preparing what we do have for English publication. What we do have are actions taken and gestures made while he was Jesuit provincial and a bishop in Argentina. He rides the bus, leads a simple life, and loves the poor. Read “The Pope and the Poor” Pope Francis and Secularist Stereotypes Don't be surprised that the honeymoon lasted just a few hours. By Michael Coren The Catholic Church looks neither right nor left but up. In other words, the Church is not a vehicle for conservatism or liberalism, capitalism or socialism, but a vehicle for Catholicism. Anyone who thinks and believes otherwise has surely misunderstood the teaching and purpose of the institution left us by Christ Jesus. I say this because within hours of Pope Francis taking to the balcony in Rome, commentators were trying to shape the man in their own image. It’s an outrageous, but inevitable, thing to do. Pope Francis the friend of the poor, Pope Francis the defender of marriage; Pope Francis the Jesuit, Pope Francis the orthodox cleric; Pope Francis the critic of unbridled globalization, Pope Francis the fighter for the unborn. The real answer is that he’s not some of these, but all of these. Read “Pope Francis and Secularist Stereotypes” Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's "Letter On the Year of Faith" An exclusive English translation of Cardinal Bergoglio's October 2012 letter marking the start of the Year of Faith The following Letter On the Year of Faith was presented by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., now Pope Francis, on October 1, 2012, the Feast of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, to the Catholics of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. This exclusive English translation is published with the express permission of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Read “Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Letter On the Year of Faith” Pope Francis and the Humility of Orthodoxy The newly elected pontiff demonstrates how Catholicism is both consistently compelling and often very unpredictable. By Carl E. Olson For many people, including many Catholics, the Catholic Church is too old-fashioned, staid, and boring, supposedly failing to be "relevant" and "with the times." And yet, the ancient traditions and venerable institutions of the Church—especially the papacy—continue to fascinate and even transfix the world at large. And today's events in Rome demonstrate this fact, showing that Catholicism, far from being dull and predictable, is both consistently compelling and often very unpredictable. Pope Francis is Exhibit A through Z. First, the unpredictable. Although the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was reportedly a runner-up in the 2005 papal election, he wasn't on most short lists for this conclave, largely because he is 76 years old, just two years younger than was Cardinal Ratzinger eight years ago. While the possibility of a pope from the Americas seemed more likely than ever before, the names mentioned were mostly from North America, especially Cardinals Dolan and O'Malley. Read “Pope Francis and the Humility of Orthodoxy” Catholic World Report

Pope: Homily for inaugural Mass

1.  Pope: Homily for inaugural Mass of Petrine Ministry [full text]

(Vatican Radio) Homily of the Holy Father at the Inauguration of his Papal Ministry 19 March 2013:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: “Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model” (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

Of white smoke and black popes

Of white smoke and black popes

(By Francis Gonsalves)

 “Habemus papam: Franciscum.” These early-morning words on Thursday hit me like a torpedo. It took me time to realise that the new Pope — Jorge Mario Bergoglio — was assuming an unused papal name, Francis, mine! More shocking were realisations that this man in white was Argentinean, and, yes, a Jesuit, like me!

The Superior Generals who head the Jesuits are traditionally and teasingly nicknamed “black popes” because of their black cassocks and their unswerving loyalty to Popes. First non-European Pope in 1,300 years, first Argentinean Pope in a 2,000-year Christian history, first Jesuit Pope in a history of over 450 years, and first Pope Francis ever. These firsts promise newness and change — even if Francis, aged 76, seems a tad too old to bring newness and broker change. But he is steady and steely, too.

Pope Francis's book

Pope Francis's book 

Inbox

x

From the Guardian (U.K.); http://www.guardian.co.uk

Pope Francis's book reveals a radical progressive in the making
Book written as a cardinal shows a man with a profound social conscience and professing a genuine belief in interfaith dialogue
Giles Tremlett in Madrid
guardian.co.uk, Friday 15 March 2013 16.33 GMT

In his own words, Pope Francis comes over as a clever, thoughtful and skilful mixture of social conservative and radical progressive who preaches zero tolerance of pederast priests but whose own behaviour during the terror of Argentina's military juntas remains decidedly blurred.

A Franciscan Jesuit for pope

====================================================

AP/AP - In this image made from video provided by CTV, Pope Francis celebrates his inaugural Mass with cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel, at the Vatican, Thursday, March 14, 2013. As the 266th pope, Francis inherits a Catholic church in turmoil, beset by the clerical sex abuse scandal, internal divisions and dwindling numbers in parts of the world where Christianity had been strong for centuries. (AP Photo/CTV)

====================================================

A Franciscan Jesuit for pope

By Mathew N. Schmalz, Published: March 15

A Franciscan Jesuit.

A Jesuit Franciscan.

What can we make of the Argentine Jesuit pope who has chosen the name Francis?

Jesuits and Franciscans are both Catholic, but they do represent different forms of Catholic spirituality. In times past, the Jesuits and Franciscans have also had their share of disagreements—over mission territory, over involvement in secular affairs and over the finer points of theology.

Jesuits are celebrated for their complexity; Franciscans are admired for their simplicity.

Jesuit spirituality values discernment and decision-making, and a prayerful consideration of possibilities and choices. It is a way that emphasizes detachment from the passions.

Franciscan spirituality embraces an ethos of sharing, a sharing not just of possessions, but also of love and experience. It is a way recognizes our reliance on the mercy of God.

Jesuits, of course, have a well-deserved reputation as the intellectuals of the church—a quality that finds expression not just through teaching and research, but also through organizing and institution building. Franciscans are accustomed to expressing themselves in less discursive ways: through labor, through charity, and through other examples of what Catholics call corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

It’s easy to make too much of these differences. Many Jesuits have embraced poverty and lives of hidden service; and many Franciscans are keen theologians and brilliant thinkers.

But most importantly, Jesuit and Franciscan spiritualities converge on the person of Jesus Christ.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, often meditated on the prayerAmina Christi that says, “O Jesus, hide me in Thy wounds so that I may never be separated from Thee.” St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, kissed and washed the sores of lepers. For him, Christ was not just revealed in the leper, Jesus was a leper: despised, humiliated, and outcast.

For both Ignatius and Francis, for both Jesuits and Franciscans, it is the person of Christ who reveals the divine and transforms our humanity.

Pope Francis will bring a Jesuit intellectualism into the papacy. After all, he was trained in Germany and taught theology himself. But by choosing the name Francis, he is also affirming the power of humility and simplicity. Pope Francis, the Argentine Jesuit, is not simply attesting to the complementarity of the Ignatian and Franciscan paths. He is pointing to how the mind and heart meet in the love of Jesus Christ.

Both St. Ignatius and St. Francis often received “the gift of tears.” And I know many people—myself included—who were moved to tears when Pope Francis recited the Our Father and the Hail Mary with the assembled crowd and then asked for their silent prayers. It was an act that combined simplicity with a powerful openness to divine and human love. It was a scene that was both Jesuit and Franciscan because it was so deeply Christian. It was a moment when Pope Francis reminded us how much we need Jesus, and also how much we need one another.

Mathew Schmalz teaches and writes on global Catholicism at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.

Ref.:http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/a-franciscan-jesuit-for-pope/2013/03/14/323a1e68-8cf1-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html

Click here to Reply or Forward

Allwyn Fernandes	23:33 (17 hours ago)
to A

He speaks of the "Church Accompanying" -- reminds me of the Jesus "accompanying" the two disciples on the road to Emmaus -- "was not our heart burning as he was speaking?" That is what people hunger for today -- accompanying them, rather than priests and bishops who glower and glare at them from a distance. 

This pope will appeal to young people despite his age of 76 because in this age of social media, he is "someone like us" rather than "someone like them". One of the developments as a result of social media is that people trust "someone like us" rather than "someone like them". Lots of thoughts for Holy Week homilies in Pope Francis' quotes below including (attn: Sr Jyoti) on human trafficking. 

Quotes from Pope Francis

Vincent J. Miller | Mar 13 2013 - 7:38pm | 3 comments

http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/quotes-pope-francis 

Vatican Insider at La Stampa has some of the most substantial coverage of Cardinal Bergoglio's more provocative speeches in the past few years.  It also has a very frank interview with him from the most recent consistory.  All are worth reading.  I excerpt some highlights below.
(Update: Many of these quote are taken from his homilies, which can be found at:http://www.arzbaires.org.ar/inicio/homilias.html.)
This interview is from Feb 24 of this year speaks of the Year of Faith, evangelization, and the temptations of clericalism.
Speaking of the imperative for evangelization:

“We need to avoid the spiritual sickness of a Church that is wrapped up in its own world: when a Church becomes like this, it grows sick. It is true that going out onto the street implies the risk of accidents happening, as they would to any ordinary man or woman. But is the Church stays wrapped up in itself, it will age. And if I had to choose between a wounded Church that goes out onto the streets and a sick withdrawn Church, I would definitely choose the first one.”

Jim Martin SJ : If I were the Pope...

United States:                                          Banish from your mind the idea that I have any chance to ascend to the highest office in the Catholic Church. Nor am I even supposed to want it. The founder of the Jesuit Order, St. Ignatius Loyola, asked Jesuits at the end of their training to make a formal promise not to “strive or ambition” for any high office in the church. (Ignatius didn’t like the clerical climbing he saw in the 1500s.)

But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a few ideas about what I hope a new pope might do. So I suppose that the first thing I would do after choosing a name (I’d go with my baptismal name, since it’s the one God used to call me into the church) is to stand on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, and tell everyone that they are beloved children of God—rich and poor, young and old, man and woman, gay and straight, married and divorced, believing and agnostic and even atheist.

God loves you because God created you. And the ones who feel most marginalized, I would tell the crowd in my poor Italian, are the ones to whom the church must love the most, as Jesus did.

To that end, I’d begin my pontificate by listening to those who have felt that their voices may not be heard. The poor, first of all. The church does an astonishing job in caring for the poor across the globe—it’s one of the finest things we do. But because the poor don’t have access to power, the church always needs to be particularly attentive to their needs.

Who else? Sex abuse victims next. We can never stop listening to the stories of victims, and the more the pope hears from them directly—and from their families—the more the church will be to stop clerical abuse and make amends. (By the way, as a starting gesture, and a sign of penance, I would sell off some of the Vatican’s art collection to contribute to a Vatican fund for sexual abuse victims.)

Women next. They need to be included in decision-making roles. How could they not be? Jesus called them into his inner circle, and it was to women that the risen Christ first appeared on Easter morning.

Gays and lesbians next, certainly the least listened-to group in the church. What are their experiences? The new pope will want to know--and listen. Finally, theologians who have been under a cloud of theological suspicion. What might they say to the new pope?

It’s always important to listen to those with whom you disagree, whether you’re a pope or a lowly Jesuit priest like me. In short, I’d start by listening.

Conversations on Compassion: Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and author

Kakenya Ntaiya: A girl who demanded school

Election of the New Pope