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Catholic Life Publication of the Diocese of Sale
Shanagolden unashamedly Catholic - Pages 9
ISSUE 170
Farewell to Benedict feature - Pages 10-11
March 2013
St Brendan’s undergoes facelift - Page 12
Welcome Pope Francis By Colin Coomber
THE world will watch closely for any perceived changes of direction in the Catholic Church following the election of 76-yearold Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis. Media attention focused on the fact that he was the first Pope from the Americas and Southern Hemisphere, the first Jesuit to be elevated to the position and the first to choose the name Francis. The new Pope has clearly broken the mould and will be a much different leader to Benedict XVI. He stood humbly before the thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square and asked them to pray with him. There were no wide grins, nor pumping the air with two raised fists as seen from his predecessor. Even more noticeable was the fact that he dressed in white with a plain pectoral cross, rather than the rich trappings of office usually worn by Benedict. Pope Francis is said to have been runner-up to Benedict in the last papal conclave, being second in all ballots until he urged the cardinals not to vote for him. Vatican observers believed before this conclave that there was a strong indication from cardinals that there would be a return to an Italian Pope. The Italian cardinals, which make up almost a quarter of those eligible to vote, missed getting one of their own elected for the third time in a row but may have thrown their support behind Cardinal Bergoglio of Buenos Aires who was born of
poor Italian immigrant parents. The new Pope comes from outside the Roman Curia which many believe wields too much power and has been responsible for the winding back of many of the progressive reforms of Vatican II. He is said to have rejected posts within the curia and only visited Rome when absolutely necessary. Described as a moderate, he has strong view on poverty, human rights and economic inequality but the media may have missed the mark by suggesting he is a supporter of a Latin American-inspired Liberation Theology which was crushed by the previous Pope, when as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Pope Francis does not appear to have supported the Marxist approaches of Liberation Theology but certainly has been a champion of the poor and oppressed. It is said that he has preferred to live in a small apartment instead of the bishop’s residence, use public transport and do his own cooking, rather than be waited on by others, but with his elevation to the papacy, his options will now be limited for security reasons. As a cardinal, Pope Francis has been strongly opposed to abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality and so it only took the homosexual lobby groups an hour or so after the election to denounce him. He has also spoken strongly against same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by homosexual couples. He has supported the use of contraceptives to prevent the spread of disease, though he opposed their free distribution in Argentina.
POPE Francis smiles as he waves to the thousands who had gathered in St Peter’s Square to await the outcome of the papal conclave. The 76-year-old’s election surprised many because they were predicting the conclave in the historic Sistine Chapel could drag on for a week.
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