Habemus Papam!

White smoke appeared from the chimney of Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on the 13thof March, indicating that a new pope had been elected. For the first time in over 100 years, the pontiff was elected after only five rounds of voting. He is also the first pope to come from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope and the first non-European pope since Gregory III in the 8thcentury. 76-year-old Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina is also the first pope after John Paul II to pick up a unique name.

Corina Cristea, 22.03.2013, 13:29

White smoke appeared from the chimney of Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on the 13thof March, indicating that a new pope had been elected. For the first time in over 100 years, the pontiff was elected after only five rounds of voting. He is also the first pope to come from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope and the first non-European pope since Gregory III in the 8thcentury. 76-year-old Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina is also the first pope after John Paul II to pick up a unique name.

The choice of the name of the young rich man from Assisi who renounced his wealth and founded the Franciscan order in 1290 may be an indication of the new pope’s priorities in his efforts to usher in some peace and quiet for a troubled Catholic Church. The pontificate of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, was marked by many scandals inside the Church, especially related to cases of paedophilia in the United States and Ireland, as well as problems of communication with the people. Following his election last week, the 266thleader of the Catholic Church gave his first blessing to the thousands of people gathering in St. Peter’s Square. Here’s father Adrian Danca, from Radio Vatican:

“A bow before the crowds. Pope Francis, who has been called to serve the church from the end of the globe, amazed an entire world during his first public appearance by making this disarmingly simple gesture before thousands of cameras and microphones. Before delivering his Urbi et Orbi blessing, the pope bowed before the crowds and first asked them to give him their blessing. This gives us precious indication about the personality of the new pontiff. Our first reaction was surprise, something the staff of the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major must also have experienced when the pope stepped down from a modest bus early the next morning, breaking with protocol. He prayed for half an hour and left flowers on the altar of the Virgin Mary. He continued the first day of his pontificate by stopping at the hotel where he had stayed before the Conclave and paying his bill, packing and saying goodbye to the hotel staff. He was told his low-cost return ticket to Argentina could not be reimbursed.”

The first things that the new leader of the Catholic Church did suggest that this will be the pontificate of a Pope close to the people, of a humble Pope, only interested in serving God. In his homily during the inaugural Mass, Pope Francis called for kindness and compassion:

“Everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts! Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are “Herods” who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women. Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world!”

Difficult challenges are ahead of the new Pontiff, including the moral issues and abuse accusations facing a Church that brings together some 1.2 million believers. An overview of these problems by France Presse mentions, among others, a wave of unprecedented internal disputes. Many religious and priestly organizations demand more democracy within the Catholic Church, a reform of Papacy, priest marriage and the ordination of women. The new Pope will be under a lot of pressure, including from some of his bishops, as regards a number of realistic reforms—particularly those allowing divorced and re-married persons to receive communion and those paving the way towards making priest celibacy voluntary. There is also a lot of talk regarding the localization of Catholic ceremonies, which often raises problems from India to Latin America. Abuse complaints continue to be reported in the West, especially as regards the 1965-1985 period. One example is the Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles, subject to a huge sexual abuse scandal, with attempts to cover up cases of child abuse by Catholic priests in the past. Meanwhile, many congregations and dioceses are accused of corruption, particularly in Africa, and the financial situation of the Vatican is rather delicate, as a result of the global financial crisis.