From the moment that Cardinal Tauran shared the news of the election of the Bishop of Rome with the world, questions have been asked.
Almost before he had finished pronouncing the name of the Cardinal who had been chosen, there were some who were scrambling to find out who Jorge Borgoglio is. Within minutes, as Cardinal Tauran also told the world that the new Pontiff has decided to adopt the name Francis, there were further questions and ponderings.
There has never been another Pope in the history of the Church to have chosen the name Francis. However, as always the name that a pope chooses provides a glimpse into the heart of the one who bears it. On the heels of the great scholars Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the name Francis conjures images of commitment to poverty and to a much simpler approach. Perhaps that is exactly what the Church needs today though. In a time when organized religion is suffering, and in particular a time when the Roman Catholic Church has suffered many wounds, perhaps a Pope who promises to bring renewal is just what we need. Even within the first hours of his pontificate, the Holy Father has begun to model for all Roman Catholics the importance of living faith - a faith which is enriched by the teachings of his immediate predecessors, but which needs to be lived on the streets in order to gain credibility.
The message spoken by His Holiness last evening, before he imparted the Urbi et Orbi blessing, already demonstrated his conviction. His words were simple and conversational. His call for a special remembrance for the Pontiff Emeritus, and his call for the people of the Diocese of Rome (and all the world) to pray for him before he imparted his blessing set a very important tone of simplicity and conviction.
This afternoon, in the first Mass he celebrated as Pope, he preached a very simple, off-the-cuff homily to the Cardinals. Although the tone of this homily was simple, its content was anything but simple. He called for the Cardinals to live gospel values by walking with the people of God, building communities of faith and focusing their (and our) efforts on confessing faith with conviction. To do otherwise, he says, is to run the risk of being perceived as any other secular non-governmental organization. The difference, he says, is that Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and people of faith must never tire of being disciples, willing to courageously walk in the presence of the Lord, building the Church on the foundation of the blood of the Lord and using the cross as the constant reminder that our strength is in Jesus Christ crucified.
A number of other meetings have been scheduled in the coming days, but the official installation and beginning of this Pontificate will take place on Tuesday, March 19, the Liturgical Feast of Saint Joseph when His Holiness presides at his innaugural Mass, scheduled to take place in Saint Peter's Square beginning at 9:30am. In a certain sense, it has been the established practice that the Holy Father outlines his pastoral plan as he preaches the homily at the innaugural Mass, however we will have to watch carefully as next Tuesday's celebration unfolds. If the practice of shunning the trappings traditionally associated with the papacy continues, the world is in for a number of other surprises.
Archbishop Jorge Borgoglio, SJ endeared himself to the people of Buenos Aires during the years he spent as the pastor of that particular Church. Shunning many of the trappings customarily enjoyed by his predecessors, he chose to visit often in the slums of that city, to walk and use public transportation rather than using a car, to prepare his own meals and to work without the aid of a secretary. All of these are deliberate choices made by a man who is convinced that we all must live the gospel with conviction, and he's not afraid to show us how to do it. Watch closely and hang on for the ride. There is lots more to come.
Almost before he had finished pronouncing the name of the Cardinal who had been chosen, there were some who were scrambling to find out who Jorge Borgoglio is. Within minutes, as Cardinal Tauran also told the world that the new Pontiff has decided to adopt the name Francis, there were further questions and ponderings.
There has never been another Pope in the history of the Church to have chosen the name Francis. However, as always the name that a pope chooses provides a glimpse into the heart of the one who bears it. On the heels of the great scholars Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the name Francis conjures images of commitment to poverty and to a much simpler approach. Perhaps that is exactly what the Church needs today though. In a time when organized religion is suffering, and in particular a time when the Roman Catholic Church has suffered many wounds, perhaps a Pope who promises to bring renewal is just what we need. Even within the first hours of his pontificate, the Holy Father has begun to model for all Roman Catholics the importance of living faith - a faith which is enriched by the teachings of his immediate predecessors, but which needs to be lived on the streets in order to gain credibility.
The message spoken by His Holiness last evening, before he imparted the Urbi et Orbi blessing, already demonstrated his conviction. His words were simple and conversational. His call for a special remembrance for the Pontiff Emeritus, and his call for the people of the Diocese of Rome (and all the world) to pray for him before he imparted his blessing set a very important tone of simplicity and conviction.
This afternoon, in the first Mass he celebrated as Pope, he preached a very simple, off-the-cuff homily to the Cardinals. Although the tone of this homily was simple, its content was anything but simple. He called for the Cardinals to live gospel values by walking with the people of God, building communities of faith and focusing their (and our) efforts on confessing faith with conviction. To do otherwise, he says, is to run the risk of being perceived as any other secular non-governmental organization. The difference, he says, is that Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and people of faith must never tire of being disciples, willing to courageously walk in the presence of the Lord, building the Church on the foundation of the blood of the Lord and using the cross as the constant reminder that our strength is in Jesus Christ crucified.
A number of other meetings have been scheduled in the coming days, but the official installation and beginning of this Pontificate will take place on Tuesday, March 19, the Liturgical Feast of Saint Joseph when His Holiness presides at his innaugural Mass, scheduled to take place in Saint Peter's Square beginning at 9:30am. In a certain sense, it has been the established practice that the Holy Father outlines his pastoral plan as he preaches the homily at the innaugural Mass, however we will have to watch carefully as next Tuesday's celebration unfolds. If the practice of shunning the trappings traditionally associated with the papacy continues, the world is in for a number of other surprises.
Archbishop Jorge Borgoglio, SJ endeared himself to the people of Buenos Aires during the years he spent as the pastor of that particular Church. Shunning many of the trappings customarily enjoyed by his predecessors, he chose to visit often in the slums of that city, to walk and use public transportation rather than using a car, to prepare his own meals and to work without the aid of a secretary. All of these are deliberate choices made by a man who is convinced that we all must live the gospel with conviction, and he's not afraid to show us how to do it. Watch closely and hang on for the ride. There is lots more to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment