IN 2001, shortly before then Bishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio was due to receive the cardinal’s hat from the hands of Blessed Pope John Paul II, his followers organised a fundraiser so that they might accompany him on his flight to Rome. Bishop Bergoglio did not especially like this idea, and he ordered his flock to remain at home, adding “please distribute all the money collected so far among the poor.”
This episode, dear readers, opens a window on the man who, some 12 years later, would become Pope Francis. It reveals a pontiff whose priority is the option for the poor.
Well known for his simplicity, when he was Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires Bergoglio chose to live in a small apartment, tend to his own needs, and ride on public buses or subway when visiting the destitute and the exploited workers in the neediest barrios, in the hospitals or in the kitchens established for the hungry.
Immediately after appearing on the balcony of St. Peter’s, Pope Francis charmed the world with the simplicity and warmth of his words, and with the choice of a name which bodes well for the future. He is, in fact, the first pope to take the name Francis, in homage to St. Francis of Assisi, the saint who wished to follow the Gospel to the letter, and to protect the poor and all creation.
Wearing only a simple white cassock rather than the red papal cape and stole, and a simple metal cross in place of the customary gold pectoral cross, Pope Francis made history when he asked the immense crowd gathered at St. Peter’s to pray for him, “If I can ask a favour before the bishop blesses you, I ask you to pray for me,” he said bowing his head.
We can already assume that the program of his pontificate will be grand and revolutionary, and yet inspired by the Church’s essential values.
A first priority will be prayer, which strengthens the Church and gives her unity, but which is also the way through which we can enter into communion with the One who loves us with a never-ending, infinite love.
Secondly, there is the centrality of the Cross, which Pope Francis underscored in clear words in his first Mass as Pope. If we do not profess Jesus Christ crucified, he said, “we may become a charitable NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of the Lord… When we are not building on the rock, what happens? The same thing that happens to children on the beach when they build sandcastles: everything is swept away, there is no solidity.”
Finally, there is love for one’s neighbour, in particular for the poor. During the Audience with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis said, “How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure! After the example of Francis of Assisi, the Church in every corner of the world has always tried to care for and look after those who suffer from want!” But Pope Francis also underscored that there is another form of poverty, “It is the spiritual poverty of our time, which afflicts the so-called richer countries particularly seriously”.
This Spring of 2013, the Church, led by a new helmsman “from the ends of the earth,” seems to be heading towards a new course which will hopefully mark the end of a difficult period in our history.
According to betting company William Hill, prior to Pope Francis’ election, the odds were 25-to-1 in favour of Cardinal Bergoglio becoming pope, making him something of a longshot or, at least, a very unexpected choice. We know, however, that whenever cardinals are electing a pope the Holy Spirit is in charge and, as Jesus taught us, “the Spirit breathes where He wills, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes and where He goes” (John, 3:8).
Let us pray, dear readers, that the Holy Spirit may give Pope Francis the strength to guide the Church for many years to come, and that He may give him wisdom, zeal and the gift of governance as he leads her on the journey to the Kingdom.
Updated on October 06 2016