Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina Is Pope Francis

The College of Cardinals has elected the first non-European Pope in at least a thousand years and the first Jesuit. Time will tell but what little I know of the new Pontiff suggests that he is a highly charismatic reformer and at least moderately liberal. He has a reputation for great personal humility, some of which I think was on display on the loggia tonight as well as in his choice of names, and a passionate concern for the poor.

For now I would not suggest waiting for the return of the papal coronation or the sedia gestatoria.

13 comments:

mjl said...

Yeah, all the trad blogs are weeping and gnashing their teeth. Maybe it's schadenfreude on my part.

John (Ad Orientem) said...

I just glanced at the combox over at Rorat and they are almost prostrate with grief and foreboding. If I were a big fan of the SSPX (I'm not) I would definitely be a little concerned by developments. As I mentioned when Benedict was offering to regularize them under exceptionally generous terms, I suspected that such was their last best chance. Now, my guess is that boat has sailed.

Anonymous said...

Indeed, I was thinking that the SSPX may well be grateful at this point that they did NOT come back in. Better for them to wait and see what the new direction will be. They may well be in a stronger position as a result of this election.

Greg DeLassus said...

I am, of course, delighted that the Lord has given us a pope, and I will pray that he shepherds God's flock with prudence and diligence. I am given to understand, however, that he has only one lung, so evidently he is not the living embodiment about the late John Paul's admonition about the Church needing to breathe with both lungs...

off2 said...

Watching the live feed, I was amused at how someone had to go looking for the mic every time HH wanted to speak. Bill, tGf

Dn Paul said...

I have a good friend who is a RC priest in Brazil - we met several years ago when he was studying in the UK and have remained close ever since. I had a chat with him on skype about an hour ago, and asked for his thoughts on his new pope. These are they:

He is well-known and well regarded throughout Latin America, by conservatives and liberals alike. Though he himself has a very strong preference for extremely simple liturgy, he doesn't generally frown on those who do - as long as they also show that they are witnessing to the Gospel. He has no time for people who are pious for a couple of hours on Sunday and that's their religion done and dusted for the rest of the week - regardless of how ornate or minimalist their worship is.

He is one of the most humble people one could ever meet, and it is not false humility. He does not rub his simpleness of life in the faces of other people, it's just a part of who he is. He is not a critic of wealth, but he is a critic of greed.

He is also a critic of the Curia and has on several occasions stated that it needs to be substantially reformed and reduced in size.

He has good relations with both Jews and Orthodox.

I have just read on T19 that he appears to be somewhat ambivalent about the Ordinariate, but I'm not sure what to make of it. Not my concern, anyway.

Anonymous said...

he was ordinary bishop for Eastern Catholics in Argentina without their own hierarchy (i.e. meaning the Russian Catholic parishes down there)

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
he was ordinary bishop for Eastern Catholics in Argentina without their own hierarchy (i.e. meaning the Russian Catholic parishes down there)

If that's the case then Archbishops Gomez, Cordileone and Dolan would also rightfully be called bishops ordinary for Eastern Catholics without their own hierarchy. Not exactly on the first or second pages of their resumes, I'm sure. No disrespect intended-- I was married in the local Russian Catholic parish.

Archimandrite Gregory said...

From my vantage point it seems that the new Pope sees himself as pre eminently the Bishop of Rome, and a loving pastor. Secondly he seems to value collegiality and service rather than pomp and circumstance. Perhaps he is the one that God has chosen to restore the papacy to its original position as primus inter pares.Time alone will tell but may it be so after the will of God.

Visibilium said...

Let's hope that the nominal Franciscan avoids the mendicants' sanctimonious stink. Innocent III appropriately associated the original Francis with pigs.

Scoob said...

@Visibilium

What a dumb thing to say.

Anonymous said...

Scoob said...

@Visibilium

What a dumb thing to say.

Let's hope that the nominal Franciscan avoids the mendicants' sanctimonious stink. Innocent III appropriately associated the original Francis with pigs.

Visibilium should think a little deeper about this.

Who was welcomed by the Father after hanging out with pigs?

Visibilium said...

Your diction underwhelms. Innocent relented, but didn't welcome. He relented only after Francis kissed his ass by rolling around in porcine excrement. Frankly, I'm not sure whether smearing oneself in pig shit is more disgusting than leading a troupe of able-bodied loafers who beg alms from the industrious poor, but I can tell you that the latter is certainly more offensive.