The Making of Pope Francis Day 6: The Call of Rome: After Pope John Paul IIs death in April 2005, Bergoglio reportedly received the second-most votes in the 2005 papal election; Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) won election as Pope John Pauls successor. On March 13, 2013, at the age of 76, Jorge Bergoglio was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church—becoming the first citizen from the Americas, the first non-European and first Jesuit priest to be named pope, and adopting the name Pope Francis (he reportedly took the title after St. Francis of Assisi of Italy, a Catholic preacher during the 12th and 13th centuries). Prior to the 2013 papal election, Pope Francis had served as both archbishop and cardinal for more than 12 years. Addressing a crowd of tens of thousands in St. Peters Square, in the Vatican City in Rome, Italy, after his election win, Pope Francis stated, As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from faraway. ...Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace. Pope Francis made his first international visit on July 22, 2013, when he arrived at the Galateo-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There, he was greeted by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a welcome ceremony, later circulating downtown Rio in order to be close to the people. While in Rio, Pope Francis was on hand to celebrate World Youth Day. More than 3 million people attended the pontiffs closing mass at the event. On his way back to Rome, Pope Francis surprised reporters traveling with him regarding his seemingly open stance on gay Catholics. According to The New York Times, he told the press that If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? His remarks were heralded by several gay and lesbian groups as a welcoming gesture by the Roman Catholic Church. In September 2013, Pope Francis called for others to join him in praying for peace in Syria. The pontiff held a special vigil in St. Peters Square on September 7, which was attended by roughly 100,000 people. According to the Catholic News Service, Francis told the crowd that When man thinks only of himself ... permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power ... Then the door opens to violence, indifference and conflict. The pope implored those involved in the conflict to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Leave behind the self-interest that hardens your heart, overcome the indifference that makes your heart insensitive towards others, conquer your deadly reasoning, and open yourself to dialogue and reconciliation.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:28:49 +0000
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