We have a new Pope!

[Diana]

He's old. I think this means that the other cardinals want another eight years to subtly duke it out behind the scenes to become a younger pope.

I love that he's a Franciscian, but I think that taking a vow of poverty means very little when you're never in actual danger of bring poor.

He is not a franciscan, he is a jesuita

[Californiacicle]

Bergoglio is who I liked the most out of those I had read about. All are too conservative for me but I do love that he's a Jesuit, how he seems to be very humble, and a strong advocate for social justice. I am especially hopeful hearing his new name. Bravo!

[CallmeChaCha]

He's blessing all men and women of good faith. I guess I'm not going to receive that blessing :hand:

[Cran]

He's not a Franciscan, but a Jesuit. He TOOK the name of the founder of the order, though.

Bishops are required to offer their resignation to the pope at the age of 75, who might accept or not. But being a bishop is a lifetime commitment, you're ordained to be a bishop, and an ordination can't be taken away, so a bishop stays a bishop until he dies, so he might still be elected as pope. Technically, any single Catholic male could have been leected, they would have ordained him straight after the election.

Personally, I do not like the impression I got from the pictures, but that's hardly relevant.

[ceg045]

Not a surprise, but he's staunchly conservative on social issues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Bergoglio

[Ellimenopy]

He is not a franciscan, he is a jesuita

That's what I meant! Gah, I can't type and think at the same time. I don't think he took a vow of poverty, either, just prefers to live simply. The point still stands.

[roadnottaken]

My first post here! I am happy with this choice. While I agree that a vow of poverty means little when one isn't in danger of being poor...however as far as Bishops go, he is known to have passed on many of the trappings afforded to him. He took public transportation instead of using a private driver, cooked for himself etc. There is a little room to hope that he can restore some humility and some focus on the poor.

[JesusFightClub]

Not a surprise, but he's staunchly conservative on social issues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Bergoglio

Hmmm...

Relations with the Argentine government

See also: Dirty War

On April 15, 2005, a human rights lawyer filed a criminal complaint against Bergoglio, accusing him of conspiring with the junta in 1976 to kidnap two Jesuit priests, whom he, as superior of the Society of Jesus of Argentina in 1976, had asked to leave their pastoral work following conflict within the Society over how to respond to the new military dictatorship, with some priests advocating a violent overthrow. Bergoglio's spokesman has flatly denied the allegations. No evidence was presented linking the cardinal to this crime.[9]

[Gil]

My first post here! I am happy with this choice. While I agree that a vow of poverty means little when one isn't in danger of being poor...however as far as Bishops go, he is known to have passed on many of the trappings afforded to him. He took public transportation instead of using a private driver, cooked for himself etc. There is a little room to hope that he can restore some humility and some focus on the poor.

As long as they're not poor and gay.

[Diana]

apparently he was wearing a simpler cross than the usual of a pope, at least is a difference with benedict and his prada shoes

[Ellimenopy]

My first post here! I am happy with this choice. While I agree that a vow of poverty means little when one isn't in danger of being poor...however as far as Bishops go, he is known to have passed on many of the trappings afforded to him. He took public transportation instead of using a private driver, cooked for himself etc. There is a little room to hope that he can restore some humility and some focus on the poor.

Oh! I didn't mean that it isn't good that he lives simply, because I do think that will bring an interesting and refreshing quality to the Vatican!

But it's not really as relatable to being poor as it's being portrayed on tv. There's none of the anxiety and desperation of being poor. If my husband and I sold our businesses, moved to Central America, and lived in a shack, we still wouldn't be "living in poverty". By every reasonable definition we've neither had any experience with actual poverty in our lives.

[ceg045]

Bergoglio is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them, and a follower of the church's most conservative wing.

He has clashed with the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.

*sigh*

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/world/eur ... index.html

[Irishy]

What I'm hearing on the radio here is that while he believes homosexuality to be against god, he says gay people must be afforded respect. He apparently visited some aids patients in hospital in the 90s and washed their feet. He also condones contraception in the prevention of the spread of HIV but not to prevent conception.

[Finduilas]

So to sum up no more bling but still no homosexuality or abortion ... Right?

[Irishy]

Look, what did we expect???

[Jinger Jar]

One wonders if Bergoglio, SJ, is thinking of St. Francis Xavier. Upon hearing his regnal name my first thought went to St. Francis of Assisi, whom Jesus asked to rebuild His Church. That is what is needed, and if that is his message, then what a wonderful and long overdue moment. The Church desperately needs a pastor right now, and I pray he's a good one.

[Loveday]

Look, what did we expect???

This. If anyone (not meaning people here on FJ, just 'anyone' in general) is thinking the Church is going to undergo massive change with the change in pontiff...well, I'm here to say it ain't happenin'. Think a very occasional, teeny, tiny, minute little baby step, one at a time, and not always in quite the right direction. If we're lucky. And the fact that this pope is from South America and not from Europe might be the ONLY baby step we get for a long time to come. :?

[Lillybee]

I was hoping for someone like John XXIII or the first John Paul.

[louisa05]

apparently he was wearing a simpler cross than the usual of a pope, at least is a difference with benedict and his prada shoes

Benedict's shoes were never Prada. That was misreported and the story stuck. The shoes are made by an Italian shoemaker named Adriano Stefenelli who first made a pair for JP II in 2002 as a gift.

Link (news site so not split):

http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2 ... -shoemaker

[grovelina]

I think he is better than the fundies we talk about here.

"Like other Jesuit intellectuals, Bergoglio has focused on social outreach. Catholics are still buzzing over his speech last year accusing fellow church officials of hypocrisy for forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes.

“In our ecclesiastical region there are priests who don't baptize the children of single mothers because they weren't conceived in the sanctity of marriage,†Bergoglio told his priests. “These are today's hypocrites. Those who clericalize the church. Those who separate the people of God from salvation. And this poor girl who, rather than returning the child to sender, had the courage to carry it into the world, must wander from parish to parish so that it's baptized!â€

Bergoglio compared this concept of Catholicism to the Pharisees of Christ's time: people who congratulate themselves while condemning others."

latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-new-pope-bio-20130313,0,6062703.story

[Irishy]

Surely this is a victory for the RCC in South America in the fight against evangelical Protestants like our friends the Duggars.

[CrankyCatLady]

Look, what did we expect???

This?

[Irishy]

Love a bit of Dougal!

[valsa]

The fact that they elected a conservative isn't surprising but that doesn't mean it's still not worthy of condemnation.

I'm surprised they chose someone so old but it may make sense. From what I can tell, he seems to be more of a moderate than Rattie (not that that's very difficult to pull off) with the added benefit of not having the stink of the sex scandals all over him, so the church gets a little lee-way until he dies to decide if its survival (and, incidentally, the cushy lifestyle of the high ups) will be best preserved by moving in a more liberal direction or by doubling down on the crazy conservatism.

[C Potter-Pirbright]

In what is expected to be a fierce discussion, Argentina’s Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill allowing gay people to wed. The proposed law has increased frictions between the Roman Catholic Church and the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, which is pushing the bill.

The war of words continued on Tuesday as church leaders staged large protests around the country against the proposed law. On Sunday, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, had declared it a “destructive attack on God’s plan.â€

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/world ... .html?_r=0

So more of the same really?