Habemus papam!

The conclave of cardinals gathered for only the second day after the resignation of Pope Benedict VII, and the news came that a pope was selected, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the cardinal of Buenos Aires, Argentina as Pope Francis.

It is breath of fresh air for a weary church who has recently been besieged by scandals the failure of bishops and Rome to protect children from molesting priests and the  corruption in the Vatican. Many speculate that it was Benedict’s waning energy to reform the Curia that prompted him to resign.

(c) 2013 CNS/Paul Haring

Pope Francis is the first American. The first from the Southern Hemisphere. The first Latino pope. The first Jesuit pope. The first non-European pope in 1200 years. He has take on the name Francis after the saint from Assisi. Before the crowd who had gathered in St. Peter’s square, he asked those gathered to pray for him. He is known for living simply, eschewing the Archbishop’s palace for an apartment, cooking his own meals and taking public transportation. He has championed the social justice for the poor. While a Jesuit provincial in Argentina, he appointed Jesuits to take parish positions rather than live in base communities or be politically active. His response to the “Dirty War” in Argentina, when so many individuals disappeared is murky. And it is expected that he will continue the Church’s traditional teaching on contraception, abortion, women priests, and sexuality. The Church moves slowly. There is hope, nonetheless, in this Catholic.