Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio's election as pope has broken
Europe's centuries-old grip on the papacy, opening the doors on a new
age of simplicity and humility for the Roman Catholic Church, mired in
intrigue and scandal.
He is the first South American pontiff, the first non-European pope
in 1,300 years and the first to take the name Pope Francis, in honour of
St. Francis of Assisi, the 12th century saint who spurned wealth to
pursue a life of poverty.
His elevation on the second day of a
closed-door conclave of cardinals came as a surprise, with many Vatican
watchers expecting a longer deliberation, and none predicting the
conservative 76-year-old Bergoglio would get the nod. He looked as
startled as everyone, hesitating a moment on the balcony of St Peter's
Basilica before stepping out to greet the huge crowds gathered in the
square below to catch a glimpse of the new pontiff.
"I ask a
favour of you ... pray for me," he urged the cheering crowds, telling
them the 114 other cardinal-electors "went almost to the end of the
world" to find a new leader.
He also offered a prayer to his
predecessor, Pope Benedict, who resigned unexpectedly last month, after
saying he was too frail to tackle the many problems assailing the
world's largest organisation, which has an estimated 1.2 billion
members.
"Good night and have a good rest," Bergoglio said before
disappearing back into the opulent surroundings of the Vatican City - a
far cry from his simple apartment in Buenos Aires. Delighted priests,
nuns and pilgrims danced around the obelisk in the middle of St Peter's
Square, chanting: "Long Live the Pope" and "Argentina, Argentina". In
his native Argentina, jubilant Catholics poured into their local
churches to celebrate.
"I hope he changes all the luxury that
exists in the Vatican, that he steers the Church in a more humble
direction, something closer to the gospel," said Jorge Andres Lobato, a
73-year-old retired state prosecutor.
Change of directionThe
266th pontiff in the Church's 2,000-year history, Francis is taking the
helm at a time of great crisis, with morale among the faithful hit by a
widespread child sex abuse scandal and infighting in the Vatican
bureaucracy. His unexpected election answered some fundamental questions
about the direction of the Church in the coming years.
After more
than a millennium of European leadership, the cardinal-electors looked
to Latin America, where 42% of the world's Catholics live. The continent
is more focused on poverty and the rise of evangelical churches than
questions of materialism and sexual abuse, which dominate in the West.
They
also chose a man with long pastoral experience, rather than an academic
and Vatican insider like Benedict. "It seems that this pope will be
more aware of what life is all about," Italian theologian Massimo
Faggioli told Reuters. Bergoglio was born into a family of seven, his
father an Italian immigrant railway worker and his mother a housewife.
He became a priest at 32, nearly a decade after losing a lung due to respiratory illness and quitting his chemistry studies.
Despite
his late start, he was leading the local Jesuit community within four
years. Bergoglio has a reputation as someone willing to challenge
powerful interests and has had a sometimes difficult relationship with
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and
predecessor, Nestor Kirchner.
Displaying his conservative
orthodoxy, he has spoken out strongly against gay marriage, denouncing
it in 2010 as "an attempt to destroy God's plan," and is expected to
pursue the uncompromising moral teachings of Benedict and John Paul II.
Not everyone liked the look of his profile.
"I think they missed
an opportunity to renew themselves. They've picked another old guy,"
said Daniel Villalpando, a 32-year-old web designer in Mexico City.
"Sure, he's a Latino, but they got the most European of the Latinos."
Bergoglio
is the first Jesuit to become pope. The order was founded in the 16th
century to serve the papacy and is best known for its work in education
and for the intellectual prowess of its members.
"I did not expect
to see him in white tonight. I think it was a surprise, but it shows
the courage of the cardinals to decide to cross the ocean and therefore
to broaden perspectives," said Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi.
The
Vatican said his inaugural Mass would be held on Tuesday. U.S.
President Barack Obama said the election of Francis "speaks to the
strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our
world."
Age concernsIn preparatory meetings
before the conclave, the cardinals seemed divided between those who
believed the new pontiff must be a strong manager to get the
dysfunctional bureaucracy under control and others who were looking more
for a proven pastoral figure to revitalise their faith across the
globe. Bergoglio was a rival candidate at the 2005 conclave to Benedict,
but his name had not appeared on lists of possible contenders this time
around, with many discounting him because of his age, thinking prelates
wanted a younger leader.
The secret conclave began on Tuesday
night with a first inconclusive ballot. Three more inconclusive ballots
were held on Wednesday before Francis obtained the required two-thirds
majority of 77 votes in the fifth and final vote. Billowing white smoke
poured from the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St. Peter's Basilica
rang out to announce the news, drawing Romans and tourists to the
Vatican.
"May God forgive you," Bergoglio said to the cardinals at
a subsequent dinner, raising loud laughter, according to New York
Cardinal Timothy Dolan. He is due to make a private visit to a Rome
basilica on Thursday and then meet Benedict, who is secluded in the
papal summer residence outside Rome. Francis will celebrate a Mass with
cardinals in the late afternoon
0 comments:
Post a Comment