Pope Benedict XVI resigned-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina has been elected

[Gardenlady]

Wow, that first pic of him laughing on the bus looks just like Pope John XXIII!!

 

[Opie]

Wow! If true, it's about time! It has rankled in the Archdiocese of Boston that Law got that cushy little appointment.

See ya, Bernie! :wave:

Amen to that!The Archdiocese of Boston is not all that was rankled. It always bothered me that instead of being prosecuted (as I felt he should have been), he was "kicked upstairs" to Rome. Smug attitude bothered me too.

 

[Opie]

I Fought the Law (And I Won) - Pope Francis's first single.

Well said!

 

[annmarie62]

I'm not Catholic anymore but watched his debut. Even before he was ID'd, I said "I'll bet it will be a Hispanic man..." The church is kissing Latin America's collective rear end (or pretending to) to keep that cash flowing in! Years ago, these were probably considered "second-rate" dioceses. Politics as always. Vatican City needs to be restructured for the 21st century. All those cardinals and clerics do what, exactly? Frozen in medieval costumes, pageantry and ironclad "procedure" or papal law, (however they can justify their decisions) is, imo, purposely confusing to the lay person. And very few Catholics protest, esp. in front of the Vatican. I am Italian and proud of it yet Italians have the silliest, laziest "governments" I've ever laughed at on C-span! Most of them are snoring! As an American, I just don't get it, but then to mess with the Church would disrupt their society, where almost everyone is Catholic, like a "national pride" type-thing. And Vatican City governs itself, surrounded by priceless jewels and art. Well I'm whining but I hope Pope Francis has the intent and the power to begin MAJOR reforms. Don't you just know that any cardinal who didn't get along with him before he was named pope is in major damage-control mode? Heh. As a kid in parochial school, I loved reading about St. Francis, kind patron saint of animals, so there's that.

 

[Gardenlady]

Lol well you know the old joke - hell is where the cooks are English, the lovers are Swiss, the mechanics are French, the police are Germans, and the whole place is run by Italians.

 

[wfgodot]

Lol well you know the old joke - hell is where the cooks are English, the lovers are Swiss, the mechanics are French, the police are Germans, and the whole place is run by Italians.

The cars are also Italian, "Fiat" standing for, "Fix it again, Tony."

 

[Gardenlady]

I love that one hahaha!

 

[wfgodot]

Pope Francis lays out vision of 'poor church' working for the people (Guardian)

The Priest Kidnapped Under Bergoglio in Argentina Has Given the Strangest Statement About the Incident (Gawker)

 

[Gardenlady]

And some interesting (and encouraging) excerpts from the Pope's lates (2010) book:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/15/pope-francis-book-radical-progressive

 

[Dark Knight]

I'm not Catholic anymore but watched his debut. Even before he was ID'd, I said "I'll bet it will be a Hispanic man..." The church is kissing Latin America's collective rear end (or pretending to) to keep that cash flowing in! Years ago, these were probably considered "second-rate" dioceses. Politics as always. Vatican City needs to be restructured for the 21st century. All those cardinals and clerics do what, exactly? Frozen in medieval costumes, pageantry and ironclad "procedure" or papal law, (however they can justify their decisions) is, imo, purposely confusing to the lay person. And very few Catholics protest, esp. in front of the Vatican. I am Italian and proud of it yet Italians have the silliest, laziest "governments" I've ever laughed at on C-span! Most of them are snoring! As an American, I just don't get it, but then to mess with the Church would disrupt their society, where almost everyone is Catholic, like a "national pride" type-thing. And Vatican City governs itself, surrounded by priceless jewels and art. Well I'm whining but I hope Pope Francis has the intent and the power to begin MAJOR reforms. Don't you just know that any cardinal who didn't get along with him before he was named pope is in major damage-control mode? Heh. As a kid in parochial school, I loved reading about St. Francis, kind patron saint of animals, so there's that.

If you're not Catholic, then what he does or doesn't do with the Church doesn't affect you very much, does it?

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Pope Francis wants Church to be poor, and for the poor

By Philip Pullella and Catherine Hornby, Reuters
4 hours ago

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, giving his clearest indication yet that he wants a more austere Catholic Church, said on Saturday that it should be poor and remember that its mission is to serve the poor.

Francis, speaking mostly off-the-cuff and smiling often, made his comments in an audience for journalists where he explained why he chose to take the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, a symbol of peace, austerity and poverty.

He called Francis "the man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man", and added: "Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor."

Since his election on Wednesday as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis has signaled a sharp change of style from his predecessor, Benedict, and has laid out a clear moral path for the 1.2-billion-member Church, which is beset by scandals, intrigue and strife.

He thanked the thousands of journalists who had covered his election but invited them to "always try to better understand the true nature of the Church, and even its journey in the world, with its virtues and with its sins".

He urged journalists to seek "truth, goodness and beauty" in the world and in the Church.

Francis has set a forceful moral tone and given clear signs already that he will bring a new broom to the crisis-hit papacy, favoring humility and simplicity over pomp and grandeur...

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-world/20130316/US-POPE-POOR/

 

[michmi]

Pope Francis receives the keys to the papal apartments:

[video=youtube;NuoSu-HSPw4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuoSu-HSPw4&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[Donjeta]

Pope Francis' humble superiority
By Michael D'Antonio, Special to CNN

(CNN) -- In just a few days, Jorge Bergoglio has shown that as Pope Francis he will be the kind of approachable, down-to-earth man that people yearn for in a spiritual leader.

Like the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu, he smiles easily and appears to walk comfortably through the world. He showed his humanity on his first full day in office as he suddenly left the Vatican to visit Rome's main church, the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, and then stopped by the hotel where he had stayed before the recent conclave to pay his bill.

...

For those who respect NGOs such as Amnesty International and the Red Cross, Francis' choice of words -- "pitiful NGO" -- was a stinging reminder that this man with the humble style cannot resist claiming superiority based on supernatural beliefs. This is the great contradiction of the new pope. On the one hand he criticizes hypocrisy in the church and shows his discomfort with the trappings of power. On the other, he shows disdain for social institutions and leaders that compete with the church for influence and authority.

 

[Gardenlady]

I've seen the "pitiful" rendered as "mere" and "humble", in other translations.

Seems rather nit picky, to me. The point seems to be that a church, if it doesn't have god (goddess, creator, insert your diety of choice) at its center, it becomes "just" an NGO, with a solely worldly purpose, as opposed to a dual spiritual/worldly purpose.

No one, either, should be "competing" for power and superiority. Whether an organization is an NGO or a church/religious organization, then the actions undertaken to aid the poor, the marginalized, the suffering, should be done for their own sake - not to compete with other organizations.

 

[michmi]

I happened to be on The Catholic Store's web site last night looking for something and they've got all the Pope Francis stuff out---and Poor Pope Benedict's things are all on clearance, lol...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Tonight at 10:00 EDT on Turner Classic Movies (TCM):

The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)

The film dramatizes about a dozen vignettes from the life of St. Francis and his early followers - starting with their return in the rain to Rivotorlo from Rome when the Pope blessed their Rule and ending with their dispersal to preach. The unconnected chapters are like parables, some with a moral. The slight and comic Ginepro returns naked to St. Mary's of the Angels, having given away his tunic, but not his ricotta. The aged Giovanni shouts and holds onto his cape; the beatific St. Clair pays a visit. Humble Francis doubts his leadership, hugs a leper, and sends his brothers spinning, dizzy, and smiling into the world. This brotherhood is infused with whimsy as well as belief.

 

[Dark Knight]

Tonight at 10:00 EDT on Turner Classic Movies (TCM):

The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)

The film dramatizes about a dozen vignettes from the life of St. Francis and his early followers - starting with their return in the rain to Rivotorlo from Rome when the Pope blessed their Rule and ending with their dispersal to preach. The unconnected chapters are like parables, some with a moral. The slight and comic Ginepro returns naked to St. Mary's of the Angels, having given away his tunic, but not his ricotta. The aged Giovanni shouts and holds onto his cape; the beatific St. Clair pays a visit. Humble Francis doubts his leadership, hugs a leper, and sends his brothers spinning, dizzy, and smiling into the world. This brotherhood is infused with whimsy as well as belief.

Thank you! I will try and DVR this! :seeya:

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Thank you! I will try and DVR this! :seeya:

Not sure that I'll watch the movie as I owe DH some quality time tonight. I'm following the Jodi Arias case and haven't watched much TV other than the trial and evening commentary. If you watch or record it, please share your thoughts about the film when you have time. Thanks!

My favorite religious movie is Song of Bernadette that is usually shown during Easter season. I own the video and can watch this film over and over again.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

New pope, old pope meet for lunch

Spokesman declines to release details of conversation

Author: By Laura Smith-Spark Ben Wedeman and Hada Messia

Published On: Mar 23 2013 05:41:24 AM EDT Updated On: Mar 23 2013 12:12:42 PM EDT

CASTEL GANDOLFO (CNN) -
Pope Francis is having lunch Saturday with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in what the Vatican said was the first such encounter in the history of the Catholic Church.

Francis, who was inaugurated as the new head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on Tuesday, has made some changes since taking the helm -- most notably by adopting a simpler, personal style and calling for the Church to focus on serving the poor and needy.

The new pontiff was flown to Castel Gandolfo by helicopter for the lunch date...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...unch/-/1719418/19437902/-/765rb9/-/index.html

 

[annmarie62]

Well, yes, it does, as the Church has immense power and influence in the world. I remember the beautiful parts of Catholicism from my childhood, and I am sad that, as I grew up, I found my birth religion to be so corrupt.