From a comment: Habemas Papem (for those who are Catholic)

[fabrisse]

As far as the new Pope goes, as a non-Catholic, who went to Catholic schools, I see a couple of rays of hope.

- He's pastoral -- his first loyalty is to the flock

- He's Jesuit -- he believes in the existence of science. And math. And critical thinking.

- He chose the name Francis in spite of being a Jesuit. The Franciscan values are very different from Benedictine ones in terms of their vows and ideals. He's making a clear delineation in that choice of name. Francis was a firebrand who spoke out against many of the issues that eventually led Martin Luther to start the Reformation. He cleaned up a corrupt church from within. This is an amazing choice for papal name.

- He's old. This is a transitional choice. He's an Italian, but he's from the New World. He has a clear intellectual framework from which to draw, and he can lay the groundwork for the next Pope to be a major reformer.

Also, I'm looking forward to mass being said with a Tango beat.

Comments

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

Great. Now I may have to attend a mass just to see if I need dancing shoes for it.

Here's hoping all the positive signals are pointing the way the new Pontiff intends to lead.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Be careful; in your purple shawl, they might think you're a bishop. *G*

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

In that case, my friend, I believe it is they who ought to be careful. Goodness alone knows what mayhem I might engender given the powers of a bishop!

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Well, short crust communion wafers for a start...

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

And suddenly the communion wine would be ginger beer.

[siderea]

Alas, "The pontiff is considered a straight shooter who calls things as he sees them, and a follower of the church's most social conservative wing." [sic*] (CNN)

"As a cardinal, Bergoglio was associated with Communion and Liberation, a conservative Catholic association of the faithful." (wikipedia)

Communion and Liberation (wikipedia)

[* I think they meant to write "most socially conservative wing", but what do I know? Maybe they go out drinking after protesting the distribution of birth control, unlike the other, more hermit-like, introverted conservative wings.]

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

At least it's not Opus Dei.

And to a certain extent, they are always surprised by what they elect. The more I think about the name -- especially coming from a Jesuit -- the more I wonder if this Pope will be closer to the mode of John than Benedict.