The pope’s very first words after being elected? “I am a sinner, but as this office has been given to me, I accept,” according to The AP.
Here’s what we can discern from the early hours of the Francis papacy:
- Task No. 1 is getting control of the Vatican’s central bureaucracy, and it won’t be easy.
- This is going to be a different kind of pope and a different style of papacy — he stopped in yesterday at his pre-conclave hotel to settle up his tab. Seriously.
- Argentina’s Dirty War of the 1970s shapes this man much as communist Poland shaped John Paul II or Nazi Germany shaped Benedict XVI.
- The fact that he’s the first Jesuit pope means big things for both the Jesuits and the papacy.
The person we can all thank for giving us Pope Francis? 76-year-old Amalia Damonte, who was unable to return Francis’ childhood affections. Young Jorge Bergoglio said he’d have to become a priest if she didn’t love him back; we all know how that turned out.
Argentinians are celebrating the election of their “slum pope,” Southern Baptist guru Al Mohler (surprise, surprise) doesn’t see much to celebrate in the papacy.
With the pending World Cup, 2016 Olympics and now the pope, it’s a whole lot of Don’t Cry for Me, South America.
Remember how Cardinal Schoenborn’s mother fretted over his ability to confront Vatican “bitchiness?” Now NY Cardinal Tim Dolan’s mother, Shirley, thinks the new pope seems a little too dour: “The only thing is he’s not jovial,” she said after the election. “He looks very stern or something, but he’ll be OK — Tim would have been better.”
They didn’t get the pope they were hoping for, but Catholics in Africa say maybe the first Latin American pope will open the door for a guy from Africa next time.
The AP has a roundup on Francis’ views on just about everything, from the tango to his favorite film to living frugally.
Evangelist Luis Palau, a native Argentinian, considers the new pope a personal friend and describes Francis as warm, humble, firm and “not a Hollywood actor.”
Meanwhile, in news beyond the Tiber …
The pastor of Indiana’s largest church, First Baptist of Hammond, told a 17-year-old girl that their sexual relationship was what Jesus wanted. Prosecutors disagree.
Our own Jonathan Merritt takes stock of growing conservative uneasiness over capital punishment.
Fairly conservative Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, says he now supports gay marriage because his son, Will, 21, came out to him and convinced the senator that people don’t choose to be gay.
That 11-year-old girl who wanted to play with the boys on the Catholic school football team? She can now take to the field.
Domino’s Pizza magnate (and very conservative Catholic) Tom Monaghan won a key round in federal court against the Obama administration’s birth control mandate.
6 Comments
Friday's Religion News Roundup: Franciscan style * Girls Football * Dirty Wars - Religion News Service | THINKING PRESBYTERIAN | Scoop.it
[...] The pope settles up his hotel tab, Cardinal Dolan's mother thinks he should smile more, and a megachurch pastor tells a minor that Jesus wanted them to get a motel room. [...]
Jane Markhorst
God Bless to our new Pope.I am having a hard time with all the excitement over Pope Francis humbleness. Growing up as a Catholic we were taught that all religious lived in poverty, til I learned of the Vatican.So rich.Myself and my 4 siblings asked to leave because we couldn’t afford our tuition and book bills.All the collections, block money.
Being humble is asked from us from Jesus Christ.Advertising it is not humble.Again God’s Blessings to you, Jane
Michael Morris
The new pope paid his hotel bill and took a bus! Stop the presses! Did we expect him to sneak out the back of his hotel and NOT pay? This is a total dog-bites-man story that’s being reported all over. Being impressed with such quotidian acts is setting the bar very low for our papal expectations.
Bob
@Michael: That’s not the point. He could have sent a gopher and shown a “hey, we’ve got people for that stuff” attitude. It’s the personal presence and commitment to simplicity that is newsworthy.
John Candido
Pope Francis is a very intriguing figure. Of course it is too early to tell, but I have a feeling that this Pope will be a very significant Pontiff, who will have an enormously beneficial impact on the Roman Catholic Church.
Kevan Scott
Significant in what? Scandel? Argenttiian’s are not too happy this Pope got elected in the face of their memories of his collorbation with the gov’t back in the 70′s. As usual, another fine article by the whole RNS staff One complaint, why did you not name this Indy pastor who alledgedly told the girl that Jesus wanted her to have a sexual relationship with him that sorta conflicted with countless Biblical passages. I bet her parentsethought him to be a fine young pastor and had no trouble with allowing their daughter to fulfill the pastor’s requests. . I bet they now think that the church in mention deserves to pay up for the pastor’s inddescreations. I have no problem with innocent till proven guilty but why not allow this mans name to show up if for not anything else to make sure the community at large prevents another alleged girl from allegedly being told about how Jesus wants her to have sex with the alleged pastor. If there is a suit and settlement you can be sure that the family will have to pay the taxes while the church has enjoyed tax exempt status and allowing, allegedly, of course, this predator pastor, to prey. Wonder if they were smarter than the Catholic church and didn’t attempt to cover up the allegations?