Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
ONCE A DANCER, ALWAYS A DANCER
DYNAMITE SKATE
A mother’s loving tribute to her son B1
Chan sets world record in short program B6
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013
From ‘the end of the earth’ ARGENTINE JORGE BERGOGLIO ELECTED POPE FRANCIS; FIRST PONTIFF FROM AMERICAS BY NICOLE WINFIELD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VATICAN CITY — From “the end of the earth,” the Catholic Church found a surprising new leader Wednesday, a pioneer pope from Argentina who took the name Francis, a pastor rather than a manager to resurrect a church and faith in crisis. He is the first pontiff from the New World and the first non-European since the Middle Ages. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires who has spent nearly his entire career in Argentina, was a fast and fitting choice for the most unpredictable papal succession — start to finish — in at least six centuries. He is the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit and the first named Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, the humble friar who dedicated his life to helping the poor. The last non-European pope was Syria’s Gregory III from 731-41. “You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome,” the new pontiff said as he waved shyly to the tens of thousands who braved a cold rain in St. Peter’s Square. “It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth, but here we are. Thank you for the welcome.” The 76-year-old Bergoglio, said to have finished second when Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005, was chosen on just the fifth ballot to replace the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. In the past century, only Benedict, John Paul I in 1978 and Pius XII in 1939 were faster.
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Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Francis is the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
Will Francis I live up to his namesake? BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF
LOCAL REACTION
A Red Deer Catholic priest is intrigued by the new pontiff’s choice of a name. Father Martin Carroll of Red Deer’s Sacred Heart Parish said it is the choice of Francis I, as the Pope’s new name, that intrigues him the most. “St. Francis was a quite a reformer,” said Carroll. “So it will be interesting to see what change takes place in the church as a result of this.” Pope Francis, formerly known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected pope on the fifth ballot during the 2013 Papal Conclave on Wednesday. Pope Francis is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. In the Catholic Church, the Pope chooses a name and attempts to emulate the person, in this case St.
Francis of Assisi, a 13th Century friar and preacher who worked with those in extreme poverty in Italy. However, Carroll said while some change is implied by the name, the church won’t dramatically change. This is the first time a pope has taken the name Francis, which Carroll believes would make the Franciscan community very pleased. “Here in Red Deer we have, both at St. Mary’s and here at Sacred Heart, a group of people who belong to what is called the third order of St. Francis,” said Carroll. “People who try to live according to the Franciscan way of life and I’m sure they are delighted by the choice of this name.”
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Gun expert blindsided by Red Deer First removal from committee in uncharted 2013 CIVIC ELECTION
BY RANDY FIEDLER ADVOCATE STAFF
A Red Deer gun expert believes Prime Minister Stephen Harper removed her from an influential federal firearms committee. “I think this has come down from the prime minister,” said Linda Baggaley. “It was a blindside definitely. I really didn’t think I’d be one of the ones gone.” Baggaley was told by email two weeks ago she was no longer a member and thanked for voluntary service on the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee (CFAC) by an assistant to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. Two others, a Saskatchewan gunsmith and Ontario sportsman, were also removed. This week, Calgary’s police chief, the Winnipeg Police Association president and the Abbotsford Police Department’s chief constable were appointed as replacements. “I have no hard feelings for minister Toews. I’m sure it’s a top-down order.” Baggaley, who runs Bud Haynes Auctions, Canada’s oldest firearms auction house, thinks the prime minister gave in to gun control advocates who thought the committee was stacked with firearms supporters. “I know the committee has been functional, wellrounded and balanced,” said the 40-year gun veteran in rejecting the criticism. The prime minister rejected committee recommendations last December to reclassify some guns as restricted rather than prohibited and extend firearms licenses to 10 years. “I’m obviously very concerned with some of the recommendations made in that report, and I think the committee does need some re-examination in that light,” he told the House of Commons. The Prime Minister’s Office didn’t have any comment on Wednesday other than repeating the prime
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territory: prof BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
File photo by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff
Auctioneer Linda Baggaley believes Prime Minister Stephen Harper removed her from an influential federal firearms committee. minister’s statement made to the House of Commons and saying that Toews can comment on the composition of the committee.
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WEATHER
INDEX
Snow. High -9. Low -13.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5-C6 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5-A7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D3 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6-B8
FORECAST ON A2
A slate of municipal election candidates running under one banner are entering into uncharted territory, says a local political science professor. Red Deer College professor David Baugh said the Red Deer PARTY POLITICS First group would likely be the A MUNICIPAL first of its kind in the city. DISTRACTION A4 On Tuesday the group of possibly eight Red Deer city council hopefuls announced intentions to run with the same platform in the Oct. 21 civic election. “It’s fairly unusual,” said Baugh. “You don’t usually see parties at the municipal level.” An exception would be Vancouver where one mayor and 10 councillors are elected in an at large system. The population of Vancouver is 603,500 compared to Red Deer with 91,877 denizens according to 2011 census data. Council is elected in an at-large system as opposed to a ward system, which is typical of large municipalities. “To make it easier for voters they have an effective party system,” said Baugh. The Red Deer First members have said they are not a party but simply a group of like-minded individuals who share the same philosophies and principles that want to bring change.
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CANADA
LOCAL
GARNEAU DROPS OUT OF LEADERSHIP RACE
AXE HITTING NON-PROFITS
Marc Garneau dropped out of the federal Liberal leadership race on Wednesday and threw his support to front-runner Justin Trudeau, declaring the outcome ‘a fait accompli.’ A5
Non-profit agencies must adjust to the cancellation of the two provincial funding programs — Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) and the Community Spirit Grant. C1