The conclave 2013 pope has been elected. Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been named pope and many people don't know much about him. Pope Francis I has already brought a sense of hope to Catholics around the world, based on information that has been provided by the media. The new pope is said to be a very humble, very gentle man who cares for the sick and the poor. On March 13, NBC News shared some information of the new catholic pope.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the first Jesuit, the first South American, and the first non-European pope of the modern era. This is significant for any Catholics who are hoping for change and a sort of rebuilding of the church.
The conclave 2013 pope is 76-years-old. Many were hoping for a younger pope, perhaps one in his 50's not unlike Pope John Paul II who was 58-years-old when he was elected pope in 1978. A pope that young has been rare as most elected popes have been in their 70's. This doesn't mean that Pope Francis I won't work hard to right the church's name, however.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio's age is only one aspect of who he is as a person. He has been known to wash the feet of Aids patients on Holy Thursday. He has doesn't ride around Buenos Aires in a limousine provided but, instead, he chooses to take public transportation. It is also said that he doesn't live in an elaborate home in Argentina but, instead, stays in a small apartment.
The conclave 2013 elected a pope whom everyone seems to speak so highly of. Other facts about him include (via NBC News):
-He is the son of a railway worker and one of five siblings.
-He has a chemistry degree.
-He has only one lung, the other having been removed due to an infection when he was a teenager.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio is "a very brave man. He will be a great defender of religion around the world. The papacy has moved to the New World. The church has a new pope with a new name. I think it speaks to the church’s commitment to the poor of the world and compassion in a world that often needs a lot of healing," said George Weigel, NBC News' Vatican analyst.
© Effie Orfanides 2013
Comments