The Progressive Pontiff:
Builder of Bridges By Delarie Almanzor
We all wait for someone to step in and make a difference in the world. A people’s champion to fight for our cause, or a politician dressed without a wrinkle on his suit or his integrity. Our weak spirits, overwhelmed with all the spectacle and responsibility, forget that the champion is in you and me. Jorge Mario Bergoglio worked as a chemical technician and a night club bouncer. Now, he is the reigning pope of the Catholic Church. (con t. o n page 2 )
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(from page 1 )
He is the first of many things: the first to take the name of Francis, the first Jesuit pope, and the first non-European pope in more than a thousand years. Known for breaking from extravagance and tradition, he took residence at the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the Apostolic Palace, chose silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and kept the same pectoral cross he had when he was cardinal. He accepted his cardinals’ congratulations while standing instead of being seated on the papal throne, an act remarked as a changing approach to Vatican formalities. On the night of his election, he took the bus back to his hotel with the cardinals rather than being driven in the papal car. He abolished the bonuses paid to Vatican employees upon the election of a new pope and gave the money to charity. And on the first Holy Thursday following his election, he washed and kissed the feet of ten male and two female juvenile offenders – a first for
Can you imagine what we would have become if we never changed? a pope, since women have never been included in this ritual before. Through him, the Vatican’s encouragement for interreligious dialogue lives on. He underlined that it was crucial to reach out to nonbelievers so that the differences which divide us may never prevail. He emphasized that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to Him with a sincere and contrite heart; and that sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience. He is recognized for his efforts to further close the nearly 1,000-year estrangement with the Orthodox Churches. He met with Evangelicals and prayed with them. He worked with the World Jewish Congress, distributing aid to the poor as part of a joint Jewish-Catholic program, and his relationship with the Islamic Center of the Argentine Republic (CIRA) helped to build up Christian-Muslim dialogue. Not only does he strive for unity across all beliefs, but he also works
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towards a unity of science and faith. In his address at the unveiling and inauguration of a bust of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis recalled Benedict XVI’s awareness on the importance of science in modern culture. He explained, “When we read in Genesis the account of Creation, we risk imagining God as a magus, with a magic wand able to make everything. But it is not so.” He said that God is not a conjurer, but the “Creator who gives being to all things.” Thus, we understand that the Lord’s creation, the Big Bang theory and evolution work hand in hand, as evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve. God, continuously present, allowed creation to develop according to its internal laws, until it became what we know today. Thus, the Christian scientist is motivated by unwavering trust in nature’s hidden mechanisms, always in motion according to the Creator’s plan - to arrive at our fullness of being, created out of His love. ( cont. at the back)
“A p e rso n wh o isn ’t ca p a bl e o f l o v in g is n o t free. A n d t h e ir h e a rt wa s h a rd e n e d be ca u se t h e y hadn’t learnt how to love.”
How well do you know our Pope? Find the answers at the back page!
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When the pope was 21, the upper half of his right__________ was removed after cysts therein caused a severe infection.
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____________ gave him a brand new ________ in June that the pope autographed and put up for auction, raising a hefty $326,000 for a Rome soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Name 4 other professions of Pope Francis before he became Pope: ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ During his visit to South Korea in order to bless its Catholic martyrs, he opted to travel aboard a________________ which is the South Korean manufacturer’s second-smallest model. His Birthday is on ___________
Did you know?
He was the second choice next to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave. When he was 12 years old, he reportedly wrote a love letter to a girl in his neighborhood saying, “If I don’t marry you, I’m going to be a priest.”
The Progressive Pontiff (from pa ge 3)
Some of us may be appalled by these radical ideas, fearing what might be a 360-degree turn in our Church that we are unprepared to face. But a good shepherd knows how to change the course of his flock towards a better path without hurting the sheep. And on this notion, an example would be how Pope Francis has stood his ground against issues like abortion, homosexual acts, and celibacy within the clergy similar to his predecessors. He commented that celibacy “is a matter of discipline, not of faith. It can ANSWERS 1. lung 2. Harley Davidson gave a Dyna Super Glide 3. chemist, sweeper in a factory, teacher of Literature and Psychology, bouncer in a bar 4. Kia Soul 5. December 17, 1936
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change,” but added, “For the moment, I am in favor of maintaining celibacy, with all its pros and cons, because we have ten centuries of good experiences rather than failures.” He restated that homosexual practice is essentially immoral, but that every homosexual person should be treated with respect and love. We were once a people who burnt , enslaved and ostracized men and women just because they were a little different from us. Can you imagine what our world would have become if we never changed? Pope Francis has laid out the foundations of our connection with the world like we’ve never crossed before. He is, after all, our pontiff: our builder of bridges, and we are the stones. We can stand stronger than ever before. Sources: (1) “Pope F ran c is.” Wik ip ed ia. Wik imed ia Foundation , I n c . We b . 6 J an . 2 0 1 5 . (2) “Franc is C alls H is Ret ire d P re d ec esso r a G re at Pope.” Zen it News A ge n c y. I n n ovat ive M e d ia, I n c . 27 Oct. 20 1 4 . Web . 8 J an . 2 0 1 5 .
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