Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/canadian-press-newsalert-black-smoke-emerges-from-sistine-chapel-chimney-197746441.html

Argentine Jorge Bergoglio elected Pope Francis; first pontiff from Americas
Posted: 5:43 AM | Comments: 94 | Last Modified: 2:25 PM

VATICAN CITY - Argentine Jorge Bergoglio has been elected pope, the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Pope Francis.

After announcing "Habemus Papum" — "We have a pope!" — a cardinal standing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday revealed the identity of the new pontiff, using his Latin name. Bergoglio had reportedly finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced Benedict XVI — who last month became the first pope to resign in 600 years.
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Edited subject line in thread header Reply 1 & Reply 11-18 to correct name.  MB

[Tamikosmom]

Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been chosen as the new pope
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 3:26 PM

<snipped>

The 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests.

He reportedly got the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election, and he has long specialized in the kind of pastoral work that some say is an essential skill for the next pope.

In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests in Latin America, which has the largest share of the world's Catholics, Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly.

Bergoglio is known for modernizing an Argentine church that had been among the most conservative in Latin America.

<snipped>

http://www.globaltvbc.com/jorge+mario+bergoglio+has+been+chosen+as+the+new+pope/6442827556/story.html

[MuffyBee]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/13/white-smoke-at-sistine-chapel-indicates-pope-election_n_2866095.html

White Smoke At Sistine Chapel Indicates Pope Election
Posted: 03/13/2013 2:10 pm EDT



White smoke appeared at the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday afternoon indicating that a pope has been elected and has accepted the position. According to Catholic tradition, the newly appointed Bishop of Rome is the 266th successor of St. Peter and leader of the worldwide Catholic Church consisting of 1.2 billion Catholics.

The white smoke appeared at 7:05 p.m. CET (2:05 p.m. EDT / 11:05 a.m. PDT) time after five rounds of voting. In 2005, Benedict XVI was elected on the second day after four rounds of voting.
 ::snipping2::

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, former president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, will appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to shout "Habemus Papam!" ("We have a pope!). He'll present the new pope, who will be in white papal cassocks (three sizes are kept on reserve) and give his first blessing as pope.

Wow!  This is much sooner than I thought it would be!

[Sister]

and a Jesuit!
May God bless him!

[seahorse]

FROM BUENOS AIRES WITH LOVE



http://drudgereport.com/

Mar 13, 7:28 PM EDT


Argentine Jorge Bergoglio elected Pope Francis

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
 


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VATICAN_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-03-13-14-10-46

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/13/lombardi:_mass_for_inauguration_of_petrine_ministry_of_francis_i/en1-673133

2013-03-13 21:51:30     
Lombardi: Mass for Inauguration of Petrine Ministry of Francis I, Tuesday March 19th

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In an impromptu Press Briefing, Fr. Lombardi noted that this first Jesuit Pope, in true Ignatian Spirit is a first of all, a servant of the Church. Moreover he said, Jesuits “have an international vision, to serve wherever they are needed”. He also admitted his personal shock to have a Jesuit Pope: “Jesuits think of themselves servants, not authorities in the church”.

One of Pope Francis’ first acts was to phone Benedict XVI, Pope emeritus.

Fr. Lombardi confirmed that the Mass for the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry will be held March 19TH , the feast of St. Joseph, at 09:30 Rome time.

He also confirmed that the Mass for the closure of Conclave will be at 17:00 Thursday in the Sistine Chapel. On Friday, at 11 a.m., there will be an audience with the College of Cardinals in the Clementine Hall. That on Saturday 11 a.m. Pope Francis I will have audience with all journalists and media covering conclave- an announcement greeted with a round of applause in the briefing hall. And finally on Sunday Pope Francis will recite Angelus at noon.

Thursday, Pope Francis will make a private visit to a sanctuary of Our Lady on Thursday March 14th, but details will be released only when this visit is over.

[grace-land]

http://www.sanctepater.com/2013/03/pope-francis-to-visit-pope-emeritus.html

Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Pope Francis to Visit Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY (AP) — In one of his first acts as pope, Francis on Thursday morning planned to visit Benedict at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome.
 
American Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Wednesday night at the North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome, that Francis told fellow cardinals following the conclave that made him pope: "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to visit Benedict."
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/13/who_is_pope_francis/en1-673090

2013-03-13 20:29:02     
Who is Pope Francis?

(Vatican Radio) The man elected to be the 265th Successor of Saint Peter in the conclave, is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite. He was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.

He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. He was Provincial for Argentina (1973-1979) and rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel (1980-1986). After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba.

On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998. He is also Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite.

Adjunct Relator General of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2001.

He served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of S. Roberto Bellarmino (St. Robert Bellarmine).
Member of:
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[grace-land]

When my friends and I were watching TV waiting for the smoke, I noticed that a bird was coming toward the chimney and landed on it and stayed.  I told them that it might be a sign of white smoke today...or was it just a coincidence?  By the time I drove home, it was announced that they are again waiting for the smoke...it was white smoke!  We have a pope! 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/13/pope-francis-assisi-seagull-sistine

Pope named after Francis of Assisi heralded by gull atop Sistine chimney
Newly appointed pontiff Jorge Mario Bergoglio takes name of Catholic friar portrayed as nature lover – and preacher to birds
Wednesday 13 March 2013 17.05 EDT


A gull lingers on the Sistine Chapel chimney during the cardinals' conclave at the Vatican on Wednesday. Photograph: Reuters

The dove has traditionally represented the Holy Spirit but it was a bird with a rather less divine reputation that heralded the name of the new pope. As the crowds massed in front of the Vatican, a seagull alighted on the chimney from which smoke billows to indicate the outcome of the papal ballot in the Sistine Chapel below.

The newly appointed pontiff, the Argentinian cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, will take the name of Pope Francis, after Francis of Assisi, the much-loved Italian patron saint of animals and the environment who is often portrayed with a bird, usually in his hand.

"The name the new pope chooses tells a lot about the thrust of his papacy," said Ambrogio Piazzoni, a church historian and vice-prefect of the Vatican library.

The best known tale about Saint Francis's love of nature is recounted in the Fioretti (Little Flowers), a collection of legends and folklore. The story says that while he was travelling with some companions, they came upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees. Francis told his companions to wait for him while he preached to his sisters the birds, which flocked to him – supposedly attracted by the power of his voice.
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[grace-land]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/13/pope-francis-us-catholics-reform/1986115/

U.S. Catholics hopeful, but wary, of new Pope Francis
10:51p.m. EDT March 13, 2013

 ::snipping2::
Here is a pope who has contended with all the issues of the modern West — gay marriage, abortion, contraception, women's rights, the swelling tide of cultural secularism and global poverty. Yet he is also known for standing firmly for core doctrine like the doctrinaire popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI before him.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, shared tidbits about the prayerful, humble new pope who said, as he toasted the electors, "May God forgive you."

Although Francis doesn't have a booming voice "and he may have sounded timid, he has a great confidence," Dolan says.

And Francis has strength that will matter in the USA, says R. Scott Appleby, a history professor at the University of Notre Dame.

"The fact that he is an experienced administrator with a spirit of humility may mean he will be strong in cleaning up the sexual abuse scandal," Appleby says.

Francis also has the administrative talent to bring the creaking, scandal-plagued bureaucracy of the global church, the curia, into order. Appleby called Francis "a model of personal holiness" who may inspire believers worldwide.

But those in the USA who would like to see major changes such as an end to the tradition of priest celibacy or a fresh look at contraception or a reconsideration of the role of women in the priesthood can forget about it. Says Appleby: "No way!"

Catholic University sociologist William D'Antonio has more questions than answers about Pope Francis.

If he's so devoted to the poor, "will he support the growth of labor unions throughout the world to improve the lives of the mass of wage workers?" he asks.

And is he open to any change of mind or of teaching regarding gays and lesbians?

D'Antonio points out, "While that is an important civil rights issue in the U.S. and other Western countries, it is not seen in that light among the hierarchy in Latin America, and his record suggests orthodoxy on the matter.

For those who wanted to see a CEO-style pope who can bring modern efficiency, transparency and integrity to the bureaucracy known as the curia, the sociologist wondered whether Francis has "the skills or even the desire, much less the knowledge, on how to reorganize, cleanse and begin the development of a less hierarchical curia? I guess we will have to keep tuned."

Still, James Salt, head of the 50,000-member social justice group Catholics United, expresses delight. Salt calls Bergoglio his own first choice for "his unequivocal endorsement of the social justice teachings of the church."

The new pope was a protégé of Pope John Paul II and, like the late pope, a fierce opponent of the Liberation Theology movement in South and Central America because the church saw elements of Marxism in its singular focus on the poor.
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[MuffyBee]

At grace-land's request, we've opened a new discussion thread for Pope Francis, and that's where we are right now.  I've moved a few posts from the "Pope Benedict Resigns" thread to open this  thread, since they reflect the election of the newly elected Pope Francis.  Please continue discussion in regard to his holiness Pope Benedict XVI at: http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=14050.0

[grace-land]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/03/20-facts-you-should-know-about-pope-francis/

20 Facts You Should Know About Pope Francis
Mar 14, 2013 12:07pm

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1.    He’s from Buenos Aires, making him the first pope from Latin America.
2.    That also makes him the first pope born outside of Europe in more than 1,000 years.
3.    He’s the first Jesuit pope.
4.    He is 76.
5.    He chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century monk known for his charity and kindness to animals.
6.    Before his election, he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires.
7.    He is known for leading a simple life, eschewing a mansion to live in a Spartan apartment.
8.    He rode mass transit in Argentina, and chose to take a minivan with the other cardinals after he was elected pope rather than ride in a special sedan.
9.    He cooks his own meals.
10.   In his youth, he enjoyed dancing the tango with a girlfriend before discovering a “religious vocation.”
11.    He trained as a chemist.
12.    He is one of five children and his parents were from Italy.
13.    He has been criticized for not speaking out against Argentina’s military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.
14.    He slammed other Latin American priests who objected to the baptizing of  children born out of wedlock.
15.    He was critical of Argentina’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, calling it “a destructive attack on God’s plan.” He also opposes gay people’s adopting children.
16.    In 2001, he washed the feet of 12 patients with AIDS at an Argentine hospice.
17.    He speaks three languages: Spanish, Italian and German.
18.    He had a lung removed as a teenager, after an infection.
19.    He is rumored to have been the runner-up in 2005, losing that papal election to Benedict XVI.
20.    After being elected pope, he remained standing on the same level as the cardinal-electors rather than sitting in a throne.
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[grace-land]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/14/pope-francis-one-lung-shouldnt-affect-his-duties/

Pope Francis' one lung shouldn't affect his duties
Published March 14, 2013

LONDON –  The new pope has daunting challenges ahead ranging from the church sex abuse scandal to reinvigorating the flock.
 
And Francis will have to do it all with just one lung.
 
The Argentine pontiff lost the greater part of one lung to a teenage infection. "He feels it today," says his authorized biographer Sergio Rubin. "He's a little bit slowed by it, but he's OK."
 
Doctors said that losing one lung doesn't necessarily compromise the pope's health or reduce his life span, though it means no strenuous exercise since he no longer has as much air capacity as people with two lungs. "He probably wouldn't be able to run marathons, but I don't think that would be on his schedule," said Dr. Peter Openshaw, director of the Centre for Respiratory Infection at Imperial College London. "Having one lung should be enough as long as there is no other disease in that lung."
Read more...

[grace-land]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/14/world-watches-as-cardinals-convene-for-2nd-day-papal-conclave/

Pope Francis begins first full day with prayer in Rome
Published March 14, 2013

Pope Francis began his first day as leader of the Catholic Church by stopping by his hotel to pick up his luggage and pay the bill himself, before praying at Rome's main basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
 
He entered the St. Mary Major basilica through a side entrance just after 8 a.m. and left about 30 minutes later.
 
"He spoke to us cordially, like a father," Father Ludovico Melo, a priest who prayed with Pope Francis, told Reuters. "We were given 10 minutes' advance notice that the pope was coming."
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The main item on Francis' agenda Thursday was an inaugural afternoon Mass in the Sistine Chapel.
 
Francis is expected to outline some of his priorities as pope in the homily. Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said it would likely be delivered in Italian, another break from the traditional-minded Benedict whose first homily as pope was in Latin.
 
On Thursday morning, members of his flock were charmed when Francis stopped by the Vatican-owned residence where he routinely stays during visits to Rome.
 ::snipping2::
Francis has also spoken by phone with Benedict, who became the first pope to resign in 600 years and has been living at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo. Francis was expected to visit him this week, but a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, said Francis wouldn't make the trip to Castel Gandolfo on Thursday, and probably wouldn't go Friday, either.
 
The visit is significant because Benedict's resignation has raised concerns about potential power conflicts emerging from the peculiar situation of having a reigning pope and a retired one.
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/14/pope_francis:_1st_homily_(full_text)/en1-673526

2013-03-14 18:52:38      
Pope Francis: 1st homily (full text)

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated the Missa pro Ecclesiae in the Sistine Chapel on Thursday afternoon. Below, please find Vatican Radio’s translation of the full text of his homily.
************************************
In these three readings I see that there is something in common: it is movement. In the first reading, movement is the journey [itself]; in the second reading, movement is in the up-building of the Church. In the third, in the Gospel, the movement is in [the act of] profession: walking, building, professing.

Walking: the House of Jacob. “O house of Jacob, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” This is the first thing God said to Abraham: “Walk in my presence and be blameless.” Walking: our life is a journey and when we stop, there is something wrong. Walking always, in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with that blamelessness, which God asks of Abraham, in his promise.

Building: to build the Church. There is talk of stones: stones have consistency, but [the stones spoken of are] living stones, stones anointed by the Holy Spirit. Build up the Church, the Bride of Christ, the cornerstone of which is the same Lord. With [every] movement in our lives, let us build!

Third, professing: we can walk as much we want, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, nothing will avail. We will become a pitiful NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of Christ. When one does not walk, one stalls. When one does not built on solid rocks, what happens? What happens is what happens to children on the beach when they make sandcastles: everything collapses, it is without consistency. When one does not profess Jesus Christ - I recall the phrase of Leon Bloy – “Whoever does not pray to God, prays to the devil.” When one does not profess Jesus Christ, one professes the worldliness of the devil.

Walking, building-constructing, professing: the thing, however, is not so easy, because in walking, in building, in professing, there are sometimes shake-ups - there are movements that are not part of the path: there are movements that pull us back.

This Gospel continues with a special situation. The same Peter who confessed Jesus Christ, says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let us not speak of the Cross. This has nothing to do with it.” He says, “I’ll follow you on other ways, that do not include the Cross.” When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, but not disciples of the Lord.
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[Sister]

Thank you for sharing this grace-land.

[grace-land]

Thank you for sharing this grace-land.

You're welcome, Sister.  It surprised me that Pope Francis was able to give such a beautiful, meaningful homily just 24 hours after being elected and doing so without notes!  A man of deep faith.  imo

[grace-land]

Video at link of Pope Francis celebrating his first mass at the Sistine Chapel

14 March 2013 Last updated at 13:51 ET
Pope Francis warns Church could become 'compassionate NGO'

Pope Francis: "I would like all of us... to have the courage to walk in the presence of God"

Pope Francis has warned the Catholic Church would become "a compassionate NGO" without spiritual renewal.

In a Sistine Chapel Mass with cardinals on his first day as Church leader, the pontiff said: "If we do not confess to Christ, what would we be?

"We would end up a compassionate NGO. What would happen would be like when children make sand castles and then it all falls down."

Francis is the first Latin American - and the first Jesuit - Pope.

The BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says the 76-year-old has already been swift to stamp his style on the papacy.

Pope Francis is regarded as a doctrinal conservative, but he is also seen as a potential force for reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, analysts say.
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On Friday, Pope Francis will meet all the cardinals, including those aged over 80 who did not take part in the conclave.

On Saturday he will meet the world's media at a special papal audience, an opportunity perhaps to set out some of his global vision, says the BBC's James Robbins in Rome.

A visit to his predecessor Benedict XVI at his retreat at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome is also planned, but will not take place in the next couple of days, Father Lombardi said.

The visit to Benedict is important, correspondents say, as the existence of a living retired pope has prompted fears of a possible rival power.

Francis will be installed officially in an inauguration Mass on Tuesday 19 March, the Vatican added.

Force of reform?
 
The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio surprised many observers when it was revealed on Wednesday.

Although he reportedly came second to Pope Benedict XVI during the 2005 conclave, few had predicted the election of the first pope from outside Europe in 1,300 years.

Despite his reputation as a doctrinal conservative, Pope Francis is also seen as a potential force for reform of the Vatican bureaucracy - and analysts say that may have won him the support of reforming cardinals.
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---------------------
An analysis by David Willey
BBC News, Rome
 
Pope Francis will deal with the problems of his Church first of all prayerfully rather than as a CEO coming in with a new broom.

But the fact that the new Pope will meet the media before anyone else at a special audience on Saturday morning shows a vivid awareness that prayer may not be enough to deal with the situation facing the Catholic Church at this critical moment in its long history.

Francis is a Jesuit, a member of perhaps the most powerful and experienced religious order of the Catholic Church. The Jesuits are expert communicators and it is significant that one of the first people summoned to meet the new Pope this morning was Father Federico Lombardi, head of Vatican Radio (run for many years by the Jesuits) and the Vatican Press Office.

Under Pope Benedict, Father Lombardi was a mere functionary who had no direct access to the Pope. He could not pick up the phone and talk things through quickly - he just received orders from the Vatican Secretariat of State. That has now changed overnight.

[grace-land]

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/europe/2013/03/15/373141/Until-theres.htm

Until there's a second, simply call him Francis
AFP
March 15, 2013, 12:37 am TWN

VATICAN CITY -- Latin America's first pope — Jorge Mario Bergoglio — will be known as Francis, rather than Francis I, until such time as a future pope chooses the same name.

“Cardinalem Bergoglio qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum,” the Vatican's proto-deacon said as he presented the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to the world on Wednesday — crucially without adding the world “Primum” (the first).

He will remain a plain Francis until a successor calls himself Francis II — if any should choose to do so — at which point he will go down in history as Francis I.
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(BBM) Edited subject line in Replies 11 -18 to correct this.  MB

[grace-land]

Thanks, Mzzz Bee, for removing the "I" after the name of Pope Francis.  Many articles are still referring to his name incorrectly. Pope John Paul I had chosen his name with the "I" when he became the pope (combining the names of the two previous popes--Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI)  But Pope Francis is just plain Francis.  Thanks, again.