NEWS ABOUT THE CHURCH & THE VATICAN

Papal conclave to elect new pope set to begin

By Laura Smith-Spark, Richard Allen Greene and Dan Rivers
CNN
updated 7:19 AM EDT, Tue March 12, 2013

Rome (CNN) -- The work to choose a successor to retired Benedict XVI begins in earnest Tuesday, as the cardinals charged with the task prepare to be locked away in a secret election, or conclave, in Vatican City.

One of their number will almost certainly emerge from the process as the new spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

Just a few hours after moving into Santa Marta, their residence at the Vatican for the duration of the process, the 115 cardinals who will choose the new pope took part in a morning Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.

They processed into St. Peter's, clad in scarlet robes, for a service in which they prayed for guidance in making a choice that could be crucial to the future direction of a church rocked by scandal in recent years.

Members of the public waited in long lines Tuesday morning to join the Mass, which was open to all. As the service began, the morning's brilliant sunshine came to an abrupt end, with the skies letting loose a torrential downpour.

Applause echoed round St. Peter's as Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, offered thanks for the "brilliant pontificate" of Benedict XVI, whose shock resignation precipitated the selection of a new pope.

Sodano's homily focused on a message of love and unity, calling on all to cooperate with the new pontiff in the service of the church.

"My brothers, let us pray that the Lord will grant us a pontiff who will embrace this noble mission with a generous heart," he concluded.

In the afternoon, the 115 cardinal-electors -- those younger than 80 who are eligible to vote -- will go to the Pauline Chapel for further prayers.

They will then walk to the Sistine Chapel, chanting prayers as they go, to begin the secret election called the conclave.

The doors will be locked behind them and, after that, the only clue the world will have of what is happening inside will be periodic puffs of smoke from a copper chimney installed over the weekend in the Sistine Chapel.

Black smoke, no pope. White smoke, success.


Rome is abuzz

Rome was abuzz Monday with preparations for the conclave, from the 5,600 journalists the Vatican said had been accredited to cover the event to the red curtains unfurled from the central balcony at St. Peter's, the spot where the world will meet the new pope once he is elected.

Tailors have also completed sets of clothes for the new pope to wear as soon as he is elected, in three different sizes.

Video released by the Vatican over the weekend showed the installation of a pair of stoves inside the chapel. One is used to burn the cardinals' ballots after they are cast and the other to send up the smoke signal -- the one that alerts the world that a vote has been taken and whether there's a new pope.

Workers scaled the roof of the chapel Saturday to install the chimneys. When we'll see the first smoke is anyone's guess.

An electronic shield has been put in place to stop the cardinal-electors from communicating with the outside world using mobile phones or other devices.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired archbishop of Los Angeles, tweeted early Tuesday: "Last tweet before moving to Casa Santa Martha, and Mass to Elect a Pope. First Conclave meeting late Tuesday afternoon. Prayers needed."

The cardinals will probably vote Tuesday, but they don't have to, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Monday.

If they do, it's likely the first smoke might be seen around 8 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), he said.

When cardinals elected Benedict in 2005, the white smoke signaling the decision came about six hours after an earlier, inconclusive vote, he said.

It took another 50 minutes for Benedict to dress, pray and finally appear on the balcony of St. Peter's, he said.

The longest conclave held since the turn of the 20th century lasted five days.

On Monday, cardinals held the last of several days of meetings, known as General Congregations, to discuss church affairs and get acquainted. Lombardi said 152 cardinals were on hand for the final meeting.

Church rules prevent cardinals over the age of 80 from participating in the conclave but allow them to attend the meetings that precede the vote.


Who will win?

Meanwhile, the Italian press is full of speculation about which cardinal may win enough support from his counterparts to be elected, and what regional alliances are being formed.

"Many would say it's all about politics at this point," Monsignor Rick Hilgartner, head of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat on Divine Worship, told CNN, "but I think it's important to remember that they also recognize that this is a very spiritual moment." Once the doors close and the conclave begins, he says, it's less about politicking and "more about prayer as they each in silence write their votes."

Italy potentially wields the most power, with 28 of the 115 votes, making it the largest bloc in the College of Cardinals. The United States is second with 11. Altogether, 48 countries are represented among the cardinal- electors.

Sixty-seven of their number were appointed by Benedict, who stepped down at the end of last month, becoming the first pontiff to do so in six centuries.

In pre-conclave sermon, Cardinal Sodano calls for unity

By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service
March 12, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Hours before the start of the conclave that will choose the next pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals celebrated the papacy as a source of unity among Catholics and of evangelization and charitable service to the world.

Christ "has established his apostles and among them Peter, who takes the lead, as the visible foundation of the unity of the church," Cardinal Angelo Sodano said in his homily at St. Peter's Basilica March 12. "Each of us is therefore called to cooperate with the successor of Peter, the visible foundation of such an ecclesial unity."

Cardinal Sodano, 85, concelebrated the Mass "Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice" (for the election of the Roman pontiff) with some 170 other cardinals, including 115 under 80 who would be entering the conclave in the Sistine Chapel that afternoon.

At the start of the Mass, as a choir and the congregation chanted verses from the psalms, the cardinals processed up the main aisle of the basilica, wearing vestments in the red of Pentecost, signifying their invocation of the Holy Spirit to guide the papal election.

Cardinal Sodano's homily included words of thanks for the "brilliant pontificate" of Pope Benedict XVI, which prompted more than 30 seconds of applause.

The cardinal quoted the retired pope's description of charity as a "constitutive element of the church's mission and an indispensable expression of her being," and his warning that charity must not be reduced to "solidarity or simply humanitarian aid," since the "greatest work of charity is evangelization, which is the 'ministry of the word.'"

Christ's "mission of mercy," Cardinal Sodano said, "is especially entrusted to the bishop of Rome, shepherd of the universal church."

"The last popes have been builders of so many good initiatives for people and for the international community, tirelessly promoting justice and peace," the cardinal said. "Let us pray that the future pope may continue this unceasing work on the world level."

Given its timing, the homily at the cardinals' last Mass before a conclave is commonly interpreted as an exhortation to the cardinal-electors on the priorities they should follow in choosing the next pope.

On the same occasion in 2005, the cardinal dean gave a now-famous sermon that warned believers against trends in contemporary culture, particularly a "dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires." He emerged from the Sistine Chapel the next day as Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Sodano's words could also prove influential, but he is too old to vote in this conclave, and while the cardinal electors are permitted to choose someone from outside their number, the last time they did so was in 1378.


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VATICAN: AT CENTER OF WORLD'S FOCUS

Vatican City, 12 March 2013 (VIS) – This morning started a little later than usual in the Vatican. At 7:00am the first faithful starting arriving at St. Peter's on foot. The 115 Cardinal electors were already within the City State's walls. Each one carried his small suitcase and took the functional but austere room that had been assigned to, not chosen by, them at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The largest one remains vacant. The one they choose as Pope, the 266th successor of Peter, will live and work there until the papal apartments are made ready for him.

In St. Peter's Square, in front of the Basilica's facade, an enormous platform has been erected for the world's major broadcasters. Permanently accredited correspondents work from their desks within the Holy See's Press Office in Via della Conciliazione. Nearby, another building has been wired for all the media that is arriving for the occasion: the Media Centre, which currently occupies the spacious lobby of the Paul VI Hall. So far, more than 5,600 journalists have been accredited for the occasion. The terrace on the Charlemagne Wing of Bernini's colonnade around St. Peter's Square has also been taken over by journalists. On the ground and in the most varied places you will find many who are connected through social networks, the “digital continent”, linking the entire world. They are all focused on the spot that Vatican Television has aimed a fixed camera at: the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel where a black or white puff of smoke will emerge.

Precisely at 10:00am, with St. Peter's Basilica beautifully lit, the “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass began. Presided by the Italian Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, the over one hundred cardinals gathered concelebrated, Cardinal electors as well as those over 80, representing all of the populated continents of the globe. The celebration was open to all the faithful who wished to attend as well as members of the diplomatic corps of the 179 countries with which the Holy See maintains ties. Each held the Mass booklet, either collected at the entrance or downloaded from the Vatican website.

After the readings, the first was given in English and the second in Spanish, Cardinal Sodano delivered his homily. It was interrupted with a long applause when the cardinal referred to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, thanking him for his eight years of fruitful service to the Church. Cardinal Sodano asked the cardinals to work together to contribute to the unity of the Church. Together with unity he spoke of charity, asking them to “ceaselessly work to promote Justice and Peace”.

The multilingual Mass also included Mass parts in Latin, and Prayers of the Faithful in French, Swahili, Portuguese, Malay, and German. During the offertory procession the choir sang a motet by Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

The ceremony concluded after an hour and a half. Outside the sun shone, it rained, loud thunder was heard, none of which discouraged the hundreds of persons who were following the Mass inside on the six jumbo screens installed around the square.

At 1:30pm, the Cardinal electors ate lunch at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Already beginning now, the only people who they will have contact with are those who will ensure their safety, domestic staff, and the minibus drivers who will ferry them back and forth from the Sistine Chapel to the Domus.

At 3:45pm, the cardinals will return to the Apostolic Palace. They will begin their procession to the Sistine Chapel from the Pauline Chapel singing “Veni Creator Spiritus”, invoking the assistance of the Holy Spirit. They will take the oath in which they promise to maintain the secrecy of the proceedings. When the Master of Ceremonies pronounces the phrase “Extra omnes” all those not taking part will leave the chapel, its doors will be shut, and the Conclave will begin.

THE CARDINALS WHO WILL ELECT THE POPE

Vatican City, 12 March 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon, 115 cardinals will enter the Conclave to elect Pope emeritus Benedict XVI's successor. The two Cardinal electors who are not participating are Cardinal Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja, S.J., archbishop emeritus of Jakarta, Indonesia, for health reasons and Cardinal Keith O’Brien, ex-archbishop of Edinburgh, Scotland, for personal reasons.

Categorizing the cardinals from area of origin, the 60 European cardinals come from: Italy: 28. Germany: 6. Spain: 5. Poland: 4. France: 4. Austria: 1. Belgium: 1. Switzerland: 1. Portugal: 2. Netherlands: 1. Ireland: 1. Czech Republic: 1. Bosnia-Herzegovina: 1. Hungary: 1. Lithuania: 1. Croatia:1. and Slovenia: 1.

The 14 Northern American cardinals come from: the United States: 11. and Canada: 3.

The 19 Latin American cardinals are from: Brazil: 5. Mexico: 3. Argentina: 2. Colombia: 1. Chile: 1. Venezuela: 1. the Dominican Republic: 1. Cuba: 1. Honduras: 1. Peru: 1. Bolivia: 1. and Ecuador: 1.

The 11 African cardinals come from: Nigeria: 2. Tanzania: 1. South Africa: 1. Ghana: 1. Sudan: 1. Kenya: 1. Senegal: 1. Egypt: 1. Guinea: 1. and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1

The 10 Asian cardenales are from: India: 4. the Philippines: 1. Vietnam: 1. Indonesia: 1. Lebanon: 1. China: 1. and Sri Lanka: 1.

The sole cardinal from Oceania hails from Australia.

Black Smoke, No Pope Today

Cardinals will resume voting tomorrow morning.

BY CNA/EWTN NEWS
3/12/13 at 4:24 PM

VATICAN CITY — Black smoke rose from the chimney atop the Vatican's Sistine Chapel at 7:42pm local time on March 12, signaling that the College of Cardinals has not yet come to an agreement in electing the Church's new pope.

Voting will continue on March 13, starting at approximately 9:30am local time. Four votes are held per day — two in the morning and two in the evening.

Smoke is sent up after the two morning votes, around noon, and then again after the afternoon set of votes, around 7:00pm.

However, if the first vote of either the morning or afternoon set results in the election of a new pope, the smoke will be seen earlier.

In addition to casting their votes, the cardinals spend much of their day in prayer — including Mass and the Rosary — as they call upon the Holy Spirit to guide them in choosing the successor of Peter.

Dark of night, chill of rain could not keep curious, faithful away

By Carol Glatz and Carol Zimmermann
Catholic News Service
March 12, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- It was a cold and rainy night, but that cliche didn't stop tens of thousands of people from pouring in to St. Peter's Square to keep their eyes on a tiny chimney high atop a tiled roof.

Because of the inclement weather, most people didn't get to the square until about 30 minutes before smoke was expected to billow from a set of stoves in the Sistine Chapel, where 115 cardinal electors had gathered for the first round of voting March 12.

By 7 p.m., the square was largely full, many armed with umbrellas against the drizzle, some jumping up and down to keep their blood flowing in the chill. Some draped their nation's flag over their backs and around their necks for added warmth.

The actual chimney was largely obscured in the dark, but large TV screens dotted around the square gave people a bright, close-up look.

Marist Father James Williams, who is studying in Rome at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, known as the Angelicum, noted that "in an age of instant communication, there is a great comfort in knowing that everyone is staring at a smokestack."

He said the process of electing a pope reflected the "continuity and consistency in God that we sometimes forget."

The Long Island priest said he and his classmates had arranged that if anyone got the text message "W.S" for white smoke, they were to spread the word and run down to St. Peter's Square.

Having a chimney and not a loudspeaker make the announcement "adds to the mystery; it's more exciting," said Sarah Kisby from Ipswich, England.

A small group of young women from Japan sang "Halleluiah," while a more boisterous group yelled happily "Hey, let's go!" Sporadic shouts and cheers sent shock waves through the crowds as people thought they were a signal for smoke.

But that would have to wait a while.

"For us, there is no excuse to not be here in the square," said Deacon Spencer Howe of the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minn., who is studying at the Pontifical North American College not far from St. Peter's.

"You can really feel the energy tonight. Like Pope Benedict said (before his retirement Feb. 28), the church really lives, and you can see that here right now. People really have a desire to have and be led by a shepherd," he said.

Only a few people brought young children, and a few had dogs on leashes. Priests, religious sisters and TV crews mingled with teenage groups across the square.

Some groups quietly said the rosary; some big groups sang and waved flags from Poland and Brazil. Farther back in the crowd, people were texting and talking on cellphones while they waited for the smoke to appear.

"I'm here to stand in prayer: I know it will not be easy (for the new pope) to accept this position. I am also praying for all those who are voting," said Sister Regina, a School Sister of St. Francis, who said the rosary with Sister Kveta while they waited.

Suddenly, at 7:41 p.m., huge clouds of thick black smoke came pouring out of the chimney, sending people rushing toward the screens with their cameras for a closer shot.

"Now that's definitely black," said one woman as she leaned on her husband, tired from standing for so long.

The square cleared out fast, although the smoke flowed for about seven minutes.

Kisby said she and her husband, Oliver, "knew the smoke would be black, but that's OK. It was still an opportunity too good to miss."

Speculation, suspense: Italian media rife with papal predictions

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
March 12, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Online betting and trending sites were not the only outlets posting their papal predictions. Italian newspapers are historically the boldest and most confident in their daily speculations and conclave scenarios.

As cardinal electors disappeared from the media spotlight when the conclave started March 12, the rumors and theories mutated and multiplied.

The most frequent story line put Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan as the clear front-runner, even surmising he would have from 30 to 40 supporters in the first round of voting, which was expected to happen the afternoon of March 12.

The cardinal most often cited as the Italian cardinal's main contender was Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer of Sao Paulo.

And many Italian papers, which like to see the world through the lens of their national obsession -- soccer, predicted it would come down to being "a match between Italy and Brazil."

Those reportedly expected to garner a significant number of votes in the first round included: Cardinals Marc Ouellet, the Canadian prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Timothy M. Dolan of New York; and Sean P. O'Malley of Boston.

Some of the so-called "outsiders" included: Cardinals Francisco Robles Ortega of Guadalajara, Mexico; Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary; Albert Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Christoph Schonborn of Vienna; Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines; and Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who was reportedly the strongest contender behind then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France, told journalists that in 2005 they saw then-Cardinal Ratzinger as a clear candidate and favorite going into the conclave.

"Last time there was a person of substance, three or four times superior to the other cardinals," he said. "It's not like that now."

He said perhaps from three to 12 other possible candidates would be needed to choose from.

"Up to this point, we don't know anything; we will have to wait at least for the results of the first ballot," he said March 10.

Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris also said he thought there were about six possible candidates going into the conclave.

Though the journalistic consensus was that Cardinal Scola had the most solid backing going in, the field was still wide open.

That's because papal pundits were unsure whether Cardinal Scola would be able to get the two-thirds majority needed to elect a pope -- 77 votes of 115 electors.

Apparently there was a large block of "undecideds" -- numbering as many as 50 electors, said Marco Politi of Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper.

Those undecideds were going to be the decisive factor, many said, though no one could make a guess where their vote might ultimately land.

That amount of unpredictability -- a nightmare for soothsayers -- was part of the reason Politi called the 2013 conclave "even more difficult" to pin down than those in recent years.

La Stampa's Andrea Tornielli, who has a track record of successful forecasts, said "This time the situation is much more uncertain."

Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City said he thought it was a good thing there was no one clear winner before the conclave.

As of March 11, there "has been no majority" agreeing on what the next pope should be like or who he should be, he told La Stampa, an Italian daily.

"We thank God for this diversity. That way each person will draw up his own profile" of the perfect pontiff, the Mexican cardinal said.

However, the lack of a common candidate and the "diversity of thought" wouldn't necessarily mean a long drawn out conclave, he said. "We will come to an agreement very soon."

One common scenario was if the conclave were short, say, a successful ballot after three or four tries, the winner would be Cardinal Scola, a respected theologian who has been dedicated to interreligious dialogue.

If the voting extended past eight or more ballots (past March 13 or 14), the story went, that would signify opposition to the Italian favorite had coalesced, making way for a contender.

Or, as if the drama and suspense weren't enough, a dark horse or "compromise candidate" would emerge over the week to break any hypothetical deadlock between two entrenched favorites.

Given the widely different prognostics, headlines were unhelpfully claiming the conclave would be either "short" or "long."

Cardinal Schonborn said March 10 he thought the conclave would be a quick matter of just a few days. He said he found the week of pre-conclave meetings to have been helpful and a "rare experience of a spirit of fraternity."

Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto joked the day before he headed into the conclave that bland food could be what pushes the cardinals to a quick consensus.

He told journalists that he was "going to have a big plate of 'carbonara' (pasta) because by the third day of the conclave, if we don't elect a pope they will start feeding us bread and water."

Conclave: black smoke at morning session day 2

Vatican Radio
March 13, 2013

Black smoke came billowing out of the Sistine chapel’s smokestack Wednesday morning, at about 11.40 a.m. Rome time signalling an inconclusive outcome to the morning voting session of the Cardinals in conclave.

The 115 Cardinals now return to the Santa Marta guesthouse within the Vatican where they are staying for the duration of the conclave. They will return to the Sistine Chapel for another two ballots this afternoon beginning at 4pm.

Unless a Pope is elected in the first of the two ballots this afternoon, we are unlikely to see any smoke emerging from the Sistine Chapel chimney until around 7:30 p.m. local time.


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"It's like waiting for Christmas"

BY Edward Pentin
National Catholic Register
3/13/13

A fairly large crowd of several thousand pilgrims and tourists has gathered in St. Peter's Square this morning, many of them with their eyes fixed on the tiny chimney in the corner, beside the facade of the basilica.

The mood is upbeat despite the wet and the cold - not the kind of weather many were expecting of Rome. But this could be a time when all expectations are scuppered and a Successor Peter is elected whom few observers had been predicting.

Indeed, the longer this conclave lasts (as of writing, three votes but no election) the more likely it is that those considered to be front-runners will not be elected and the cardinals will decide on someone "below the radar." Such is the way of this election that if a candidate continues to near but not quite reach the two thirds majority needed, his votes will likely transfer to those who have been polling less, who then gathers momentum.

Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI at the equivalent of this afternoon's first vote, around 5.30pm, but his election was relatively quick. Most observers are expecting a Pope to be elected sometime tomorrow, possibly at the seventh vote, which would be noon tomorrow. But no one really knows.

For many in St. Peter's Square, expectations are wide and varied. "It will take several days to choose," believes Gabriele, 23, from Modena, Italy. "I think it will be [Cardinal Sean] O’Malley from Boston. He gives the impression of a simple person and he fought against [clerical sex] abuse."

Jean Pierre, 55, from Bordeaux in France is hoping for an African Pope, and thinks the cardinal electors will fulfil that hope. "I think it will bring peace," he says. "That’s all."

Fr. Andy Moore, 40, from Houston Texas is under no illusion how great are the challenges confronting the next Pope. "There is a lot facing [him]," he says. "Evangelization, the sex abuse crisis, I just pray he has the spirit of Christ in his heart. That is what matters."

Alfredo, also from Texas, says: "We will need a really strong Pope. Whoever the Holy Spirit sends… but a Pope from the Americas would be really wonderful too."

Many of those in St. Peter's Square just happened to be in Rome when the conclave began. "We were studying in London - we planned this trip weeks ago, and it just turned out that there was the conclave," says Nicholas from Detroit. "I would not be surprised if we have the first African pope. An American pope would be cool, but I think it is more likely to be an African or South American."

He also believes the sex abuse scandal "is going to be dealt with one way or another (whoever the next pope is)."

Connie, 50, from Texas is in Rome on a pilgrimage. "I think it’s marvelous," she says. "It is something I never thought I would get to see in my life. We have been planning this pilgrimage for a year, and it just happened to be now. Whoever the next pope is, I feel he will be the right one. Of course an American would be awesome!"

After the black smoke at noon today, some of the crowd are dispersing, but many will remain. This is a chance to witness a piece of history firsthand and yet everyone is being kept in suspense, waiting for the Holy Spirit to give the signal.

"I feel like a child on Christmas eve waiting eagerly for Christmas to begin," says Br. Cassian Koenemann, a Benedictine monk from St. Louis studying in Rome, "with the only difference being that I don't know when the big event will begin."

More black smoke on morning of conclave's first full day

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- More black smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 11:40 a.m. March 13, which seemed to indicate the 115 cardinal electors failed to elect a pope on their second and third ballots.

The cardinals had voted once March 12 without electing a pope. According to the schedule published before the conclave, the cardinals were to take two votes in the morning of their first full day in the Sistine Chapel and return to their residence at 1 p.m. for lunch if the voting was unsuccessful.

Ballots are burned a maximum of twice a day: White smoke would pour out of the chimney at mid-morning or mid-afternoon if one candidate received the 77 votes needed to be elected pope; and black smoke would puff out at midday or late evening if the two morning or two evening ballots were unsuccessful.

Two stoves, leading to one smokestack, were installed in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave. The ballots and any notes or tallies individual cardinals made are burned in one stove. The other stove burns special chemical pellets designed to create clouds of black or white smoke for a full seven minutes.

Because they are incommunicado during the conclave, the smoke stack is the only way the outside world knows what is happening with the cardinals, who come from 48 countries.

Despite it being a rainy work and school day, several thousand people were in St. Peter's Square watching the smokestack in the hopes of seeing white smoke and being closest to the balcony of the basilica where a new pope would emerge.

Father Kevin Elgrave, a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto studying in Rome, was in the square early, holding an umbrella, a Canadian flag and a rosary.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything ... rain or not," he said. It is important to be in the square and pray, "to be so close to them (cardinals)."

Papa is keeping an eye on things.


BLACK SMOKE AT 11:40AM AND A TRANQUIL ST. PETER'S SQUARE

Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) – This morning at 7:45am, the cardinals electing the Pope left the Domus Sanctae Marthae and moved to the Pauline Chapel where they celebrated Mass from 8:15am until 9:15am. At 9:30am they entered the Sistine Chapel and, after praying the Liturgy of the Hours, proceeded with the two morning scrutinies. The “fumata”, again black, issued forth at 11:40 this morning, around 20 minutes earlier then expected.

At 1:00pm in the Media Center assembled at the Nervi Palace of the Vatican, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, met with representatives from all the media agencies that are in Rome to report the results of the Conclave.

“We are living a particularly beautiful and intense moment,” Fr. Lombardi said. “We have reached the final stage of the period that begin last month with Benedict XVI's renunciation and that will conclude with the election of his successor. We can feel the excitement growing: we can see it and feel it. Yesterday evening there was already a large number of people awaiting the “fumata”, even more than I was expecting. This is already an indication of the serene and joyful climate that characterizes these days and reminds me of the election, eighth years ago, of Benedict XVI when people gathered as quickly as they could arrive, on foot because the traffic was blocked, filling St. Peter's Square to welcome their new bishop, the Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church. Then and now we feel the affection that the Romans hold for the Pope, always welcoming him warmly wherever he might come from.”

Turning then to the negative result of the first three scrutinies, Fr. Lombardi said: “Yesterday nobody was expecting a white “fumata”, nor today either. This is very normal. Looking back over the Conclaves held in the last century, only Pius XII, at the outset of the Second World War, was elected at the first scrutiny.” He also explained that, in his opinion, none of the cardinals participating in the Conclave are ill. “The rapidity of the vote shows it. Making use of the 'Infirmarii' (those who bring one of the voting urns to any cardinals who are too ill to attend the proceedings in the Sistine Chapel) would require more time. That is why I think that they are all within the Sistine Chapel.”

After the tremendous quantities of black smoke produced at yesterday evening's “fumata”, many asked about the chemical compound used to obtain it. All that information is available in yesterday's VIS service. Today Fr. Lombardi clarified: “The smoke didn't damage any of Michelangelo's frescos or endanger the health of the cardinals. The prelates are all doing well, are in good spirits, and this morning some even walked to the Pauline Chapel, where they celebrated Mass before entering the Sistine Chapel.”

He also noted that, still referring to yesterday, he greeted Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the Pontifical Household and personal secretary of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who told him that the Pope is carefully following the events of these days and that he listened to the “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass celebrated at the Vatican Basilica yesterday, which was presided over by the Cardinal dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Fr. Lombardi added that the Pope emeritus will not participate in the Mass to inaugurate the new papacy and that, although Archbishop Ganswein will remain at the Vatican until the conclusion of the Conclave, Benedict XVI has the assistance of another personal secretary at Castel Gandolfo.

To give an idea of the atmosphere in the Conclave, Fr. Lombardi repeated a few words from the German Cardinal Karl Lehman, who has previously participated in another Conclave. Before entering the one in process, he explained that the atmosphere inside the Sistine Chapel is not cold or overly ceremonial but of a great spirituality and, at the same time, solemnity. “They slowly approach the altar with their ballot well-visible and, [after swearing the conviction of his vote], each also returns to his seat slowly. The cardinals do not speak loudly and the atmosphere, presided over by Michelangelo's 'Final Judgement' gives a very strong impression that cannot be overlooked,” the cardinal reported.

Fr. Lombardi then spoke of how the cardinals pass their time at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. He said that the electors have complete freedom to use the time as they see fit: resting, praying in the chapel, exchanging opinions in order to arrive at their choice, etc....


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Fr Lombardi SJ: conclave press briefing

Vatican Radio

The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, held a briefing in the media centre specially erected inside the Paul VI Hall to accommodate the more than 5 thousand journalists accredited to cover the Conclave. The session began at 1 PM, roughly an hour and a half after black smoke billowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, indicating that the Cardinal-electors had not reached consensus in the two morning rounds of balloting. During the course of his remarks, Fr. Lombardi, SJ assured journalists that the process is proceeding normally, especially in light of recent Papal elections.

He noted that, since the beginning of the 20th century, only Pope Pius XII was elected in three ballots. Fr. Lombardi, SJ, also read a statement from German Cardinal Karl Lehmann, who participated in the Conclave that elected Benedict XVI in 2005. “This is not a rushed process, one approaches the altar very slowly holding high in his hands the ballot that he just completed,” the statement read, continuing, “the atmosphere is completely meditative and deeply intense.” Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, shared some of his sentiments regarding the gravity and solemnity of the Cardinals’ entrance into the Sistine Chapel at the start of the Conclave ceremony. “When [Fr Lombardi, SJ] told me the night before, that I would be going into the Sistine Chapel, I lost a little bit of sleep that night, trying to imagine what this would be,” he said.

Fr Rosica went on to say, “When we entered, I think there were three things that struck me very much when I was in that room: when I was a little boy, I used to see these movies on TV, about everything that happened here, and watching Cardinals going into the Sistine Chapel – and all of a sudden, I realized, this was no longer a movie, but this was happening before our very eyes – it was a deeply moving experience; I had chills going up my spine as I heard the Sistine Choir begin the haunting chant of the Litany of the Saints and then the Veni Creator; as I watched the Cardinals go up the ramp, I looked at those faces, and I saw, not just the Cardinals, but their countries, and their nations – and I started to [ask myself] what must the people feel like in that particular country, that, this man is entering that Chapel with all of them.” Fr. Rosica said, “I realized I was part of something that is much, much bigger than I am, [than] anything that I have ever imagined.”

The briefing was not without its lighter moments, as well. During the question and answer period, one journalist asked whether Fr. Lombardi SJ had any thoughts regarding a feminist group’s attempt at provocation by going topless in the square. “As far as the feminist group [Pink Smoke] is concerned, well, it is not my particular concern – it seems clear to me that the folks who were in St Peter’s Square were rather concerned with seeing the smoke.” Fr. Lombardi added, “If they continue to think it well to come here and make this sort of manifestation, I hope they don’t catch cold, because it is very chilly in this period.”

White smoke billowing, bells ringing, people rushing into the Piazza! Waiting for Card Jean Louis Tauran to make the Habemus Papam ....

WELCOME PAPA FRANCESCO!



We have two popes now who I love/like.

Lombardi: Mass for Inauguration of Petrine Ministry of Francis I, Tuesday March 19th

Vatican Radio
March 13, 2013

A man who cooks for himself, takes public transport rather than using cars and who is a simple pastor. This is the portrait of Pope Francis I painted by a fellow Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, Holy See Press Office Director, in the immediate aftermath of the announcement that “Padre Jorge” - as he was known in Buenos Aires among his faithful - had been elected Pope.

In an impromptu Press Briefing, Fr. Lombardi noted that this first Jesuit Pope, in true Ignatian Spirit is a first of all, a servant of the Church. Moreover he said, Jesuits “have an international vision, to serve wherever they are needed”. He also admitted his personal shock to have a Jesuit Pope: “Jesuits think of themselves servants, not authorities in the church”.

One of Pope Francis’ first acts was to phone Benedict XVI, Pope emeritus.

Fr. Lombardi confirmed that the Mass for the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry will be held March 19TH , the feast of St. Joseph, at 09:30 Rome time.

He also confirmed that the Mass for the closure of Conclave will be at 17:00 Thursday in the Sistine Chapel. On Friday, at 11 a.m., there will be an audience with the College of Cardinals in the Clementine Hall. That on Saturday 11 a.m. Pope Francis I will have audience with all journalists and media covering conclave- an announcement greeted with a round of applause in the briefing hall. And finally on Sunday Pope Francis will recite Angelus at noon.

Thursday, Pope Francis will make a private visit to a sanctuary of Our Lady on Thursday March 14th, but details will be released only when this visit is over.


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Pope Francis: his first words

Vatican Radio

Brothers and sisters good evening.

You all know that the duty of the Conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother Cardinals have gone almost to the ends of the earth to get him… but here we are. I thank you for the welcome that has come from the diocesan community of Rome.

First of all I would like to say a prayer pray for our Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI. Let us all pray together for him, that the Lord will bless him and that our Lady will protect him.

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory to the Father…

And now let us begin this journey, the Bishop and the people, this journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood. My hope is that this journey of the Church that we begin today, together with the help of my Cardinal Vicar, may be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city.

And now I would like to give the blessing. But first I want to ask you a favour. Before the Bishop blesses the people, I ask that you would pray to the Lord to bless me – the prayer of the people for their Bishop. Let us say this prayer – your prayer for me – in silence.

[The Protodeacon announced that all those who received the blessing, either in person or by radio, television or by the new means of communication receive the plenary indulgence in the form established by the Church. He prayed that Almighty God protect and guard the Pope so that he may lead the Church for many years to come, and that he would grant peace to the Church throughout the world.]

[Immediately afterwards Pope Francis gave his first blessing Urbi et Orbi – To the City and to the World.]

I will now give my blessing to you and to the whole world, to all men and women of good will.

Brothers and sisters, I am leaving you. Thank you for your welcome. Pray for me and I will be with you again soon... We will see one another soon.

Tomorrow I want to go to pray to the Madonna, that she may protect Rome.

Good night and sleep well!


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Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the new Pope of the Catholic Church: Francis I

The Conclave has elected the Argentinean cardinal as 266th successor of Peter

Vatican Insider
March 13, 2013

The new Pope, the 76-year old Argentinean Jesuit, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was Ratzinger’s main contender in the last Conclave. He is unusual in that he has always rejected posts in the Roman Curia and only visited the Vatican when it was absolutely necessary. One thing he hates to see in the clergy is “spiritual wordliness”: ecclesiastical careerism disguised as clerical refinement.

The new Pope was born in Buenos Aires and later became its archbishop, on 17 December 1936. He was born to a Piedmontese family, graduated as a technical chemist and then entered the novitiate of the Company of Jesus. He completed studies in the humanities in Chile and obtained a degree in Philosophy and Theology in Argentina. He was Professor and Rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel and vicar of the Patriarch of San José, in the Diocese of San Miguel.

In 1986 he completed a PhD in Germany, after which he returned to Argentina, where his superiors made him spiritual director and confessor in the Jesuit Church of Cordoba. In 1992 John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires, in 1997 he became coadjutor bishop and a year later he succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino for six years, until 2011, when he became President of the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina.

He doesn’t have a chauffeur and preferred to use the metro to get around Buenos Aires. In Rome he prefers to get around on foot or use public transport. Those who know him well see him as a true man of God: the first thing he always asks people to do is pray for him.

In the pre-Conclave General Congregations, the new Pope spoke of Christianity as merciful and joyful. His favourite priests are those who work in the “villas miserias”, the slums of the Argentinean capital. Instead of driving people away with rigid doctrinal preachings, he tries to look at all possible solutions in an attempt to embrace those who are the furthest from the Christian community. The Church, he insists, must show the merciful side of God.

Here's an article from 2002 by Sandro Magister when Cardinal Bergoglio was considered one of the best candidates to follow John Paul II. The article provides a fuller description of our new pope than most of the articles printed today.


Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Profession: Servant of the Servants of God

He´s the latest Latin-American rumored for the papacy, and he´s already at the head among the possible successors of Peter. If elected, he would be the first Jesuit pope

by Sandro Magister
(From "L´espresso" no. 49, November 28 - December 5, 2002, original title: "Bergoglio in Pole Position")

Midway through November, his colleagues wanted to elect him president of the Argentine bishops´ conference. He refused. But if there had been a conclave, it would have been difficult for him to refuse the election to the papacy, because he´s the one the cardinals would vote for resoundingly, if they were called together to choose immediately the successor to John Paul II.

He´s Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Bueno Aires. Born in Argentina (with an Italian surname), he has leapt to the top of the list of the papabili, given the ever-increasing likelihood that the next pope could be Latin-American. Reserved, timid, and laconic, he won´t lift a finger to advance his own campaign - but even this is counted among his strong suits.

John Paul II made him a cardinal together with the last group of bishops named to the honor, in February of 2001. On that occasion, Bergoglio distinguished himself by his reserve among his many more festive colleagues. Hundreds of Argentinians had begun fundraising efforts to fly to Rome to pay homage to the new man with the red hat. But Bergoglio stopped them. He ordered them to remain in Argentina and distribute the money they had raised to the poor. In Rome, he celebrated his new honor nearly alone - and with Lenten austerity.

He has always lived this way. Since he was made archbishop of the Argentinian capital, the luxurious residence next to the cathedral has remained empty. He lives in a nearby apartment, together with another bishop, old and sickly. In the evening, he himself cooks for both of them. He rarely drives, getting around most of the time by bus, wearing the cassock of an ordinary priest.

Of course, it´s more difficult now for him to move about unnoticed, his face becoming always more familiar in his country. Since Argentina has spun into a tremendous crisis and everyone else´s reputation - politicians, business leaders, officials, intellectuals - has fallen through the floor, the star of Cardinal Bergoglio has risen to its zenith. He has become one of the few guiding lights of the people.

Yet he´s not the type to compromise himself for the public. Every time he speaks, instead, he tries to shake people up and surprise them. In the middle of November, he did not give a learned homily on social justice to the people of Argentina reduced by hunger - he told them to return to the humble teachings of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. "This," he explained, "is the way of Jesus." And as soon as one follows this way seriously, he understands that "to trample upon the dignity of a woman, a man, a child, an elderly person, is a grave sin that cries out to heaven," and he decides not to do it any more.

The other bishops follow in his footsteps. During the Holy Year of 2000 he asked the entire Church in Argentina to put on garments of public penance for the sins committed during the years of the dictatorship. As a result of this act of purification, the Church had the credibility to be able to ask the nation to acknowledge how its own sins had contributed to its current disaster. At the celebration of the Te Deum at the most recent national feast, last May 25th, there was a record audience for Cardinal Bergoglio´s homily. The cardinal asked the people of Argentina to do as Zacchaeus had done in the Gospel. Here was a sinister loan shark. But, taking account of his moral lowliness, he climbed up into a sycamore tree, to see Jesus and let himself be seen and converted by him.

There isn´t a politician, from the right to the extreme left, who isn´t dying for the blessing of Bergoglio. Even the women of Plaza de Mayo, ultraradicals and unbridled anti-catholics, treat him with respect. He has even made inroads with one of them in private meetings. On another occasion, he visited the deathbed of an ex-bishop, Jeronimo Podestá, who had married in defiance of the Church and was dying poor and forgotten by all. From that moment, Mrs. Podestá became one of his devoted fans.

But Bergoglio has also had his difficulties with his ecclesiastical environment. He is a Jesuit of the old school, faithful to St. Ignatius. He became the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus in Argentina just when the dictatorship was in full furor and many of his confreres were tempted to take up the rifle and apply the teachings of Marx. Once removed from his position as superior, Bergoglio returned to obscurity. He came back into the public eye in 1992 when the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Antonio Quarracino, made him his auxiliary bishop.

From there, his ascent began. The first - and almost only - interview he has given was to a parish news bulletin, "Estrellita de Belém," as if to make the point that the Church is in the minority and shouldn´t cultivate illusions of grandeur.

He travels as little as possible. He visits the Vatican only when strictly necessary, the four or five times a year they summon him. He reserves a small room in a residence for clergy (the "Casa del Clero" on Via della Scrofa), and every morning at 5:30 he´s already awake and praying in the chapel.

Bergoglio excels in one-on-one communication, but he can also speak well in public when necessary. At the last synod of bishops in the fall of 2001, they unexpectedly asked him to take the place of one of the speakers who had withdrawn. Bergoglio managed the meeting so well that, at the time for electing the twelve members of the secretary´s council, his brother bishops chose him with the highest vote possible.

Someone in the Vatican had the idea to call him to direct an important dicastery. "Please, I would die in the Curia," he implored. They spared him.

Since that time, the thought of having him return to Rome as the successor of Peter has begun to spread with growing intensity. The Latin-American cardinals are increasingly focused upon him, as is Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. The only key figure among the Curia who hesitates when he hears his name is Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano - the very man known for supporting the idea of a Latin-American pope.

Pope Francis: A Welcome Surprise to the Faithful

Reportedly runner-up in the conclave of 2005, the Church’s new Argentinian leader has all the credentials required of a Pope.

by EDWARD PENTIN
National Catholic Register
3/14/2013

VATICAN CITY — Uncertainty quickly gave way to elation among the faithful that thronged St. Peter’s Square as the name of Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was announced from the loggia of the basilica.

Few of the 100,000-strong crowd who had gathered to welcome the successor to Benedict XVI were expecting the 76-year-old Argentine cardinal to become Pope in this election. Delight seemed initially to mix with some bewilderment as people took in the name. But quickly shouts of “Fran-ce-sco” from the Roman-heavy international crowd signaled the Italians had already taken him to their hearts, helped by the fact that he has Italian ancestry.

Many Vatican watchers were predicting a younger candidate than Cardinal Bergoglio, who is 76 and lives with one lung (although it's a condition he has had for many years). It was reported the Argentine cardinal allegedly came in second in the conclave of 2005 that elevated Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the papacy. But the history of the popes is rife with vital elder statesmen. Pope John XXIII, who convened the Second Vatican Council, was elected right before he turned 76 and Benedict XVI was elected at 78.

One of those surprised by the result was the Vatican’s Jesuit spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, who knows Pope Francis, though not well. “I’m in shock,” he told reporters shortly after the election. “I’m shocked that he [the new Pope] is from Latin America, and by his name.”

Pope Francis is the first Jesuit to be elected Pope in the order’s history, the first Pope from the Americas, and the first ever pontiff to take the name Francis. Members of the Society of Jesus are called to be servants of the servants of the Church, but until now not to be in such authoritative positions. For this reason, Father Lombardi said he found it “a little strange to have a Jesuit as Pope,” but he was clearly moved and delighted by the news.

He also thought the name appropriate — after St. Francis of Assisi. “The choice of the name Francis is very meaningful,” he said. “It is a name that has never been chosen before and evokes simplicity and an evangelical witness.”

Father Lombardi also noted it was “beautiful that he asked the people to pray for him and bowed to receive their blessing before blessing them.”

‘Extraordinary Election’

“This is an extraordinary election,” said Alejandro Bermudez, editor in chief of Latin America’s largest online Catholic news service ACI Prensa, and founder of the U.S.-based Catholic News Agency. “He is absolutely comfortable in his own skin. He’s incredibly minimalistic. He showed up without the mozetta (when he appeared at the loggia). He came out wearing plain white. And his choice of the name Francis is completely humble.”

Pope Francis telephoned Benedict XVI this evening and will visit him soon. The new Pope will celebrate the Angelus on Sunday, and will have an audience with journalists at the Vatican on Saturday morning. Tomorrow he will celebrate his first Mass with cardinals, and his inauguration Mass is expected to take place on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, in St. Peter’s.

A man of deep simplicity and humility, Pope Francis used to cook for himself, ride buses to work, and cared for a disabled priest in addition to all his other duties as archbishop of Buenos Aires. But he also made a point of never wanting to live in the Vatican and resisted invitations from John Paul II to work in the Curia, saying he would “die there” if he was sent to Rome.

“He’s incredibly learned and a serious theologian,” said Bermudez. “He’s known for being critical of the Curia.”

“If we thought Benedict was an introvert, we all need to be prepared for the real thing now,” said Roger McCaffrey, an American Catholic publisher who was familiar with the Holy Father when he served as a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. But as head of the Jesuit province in Argentina from 1973 to 1979, he acquired a reputation for being a tough administrator and for “cleaning house” — something the cardinal electors are likely to have noted in their deliberations in light of the need to reform the Roman Curia.

Speaking to the Register in St. Peter’s Square just after the white smoke appeared, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, one of the three cardinals to head the commission of enquiry into Vatileaks, made the point that it is Christ who ultimately guides the Church, but it was his “great hope” that the new Vicar of Christ will set about reforming the Curia.

Pro-Life, Pro-Family and Pro-Poor

Cardinal Bergoglio was known to be vibrantly pro-life, describing the pro-abortion movement as a “culture of death,” using the term coined by the man who made him a cardinal in 2001, Pope John Paul II. He opposed the free distribution of contraceptives in Argentina, staunchly defended the rights of the poor and chastised material inequality — he would frequently visit the slums in Buenos Aires — and spoke out strongly against same-sex “marriage.”

In 2010, he firmly opposed a bill giving same-sex couples the opportunity to marry and adopt children, saying it will “seriously damage the family” should it be approved. He made the statement in a letter addressed to each of the four monasteries in Argentina, asking the contemplatives to pray “fervently” that legislators be strengthened to do the right thing.

“At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children,” he wrote. “At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”

The new Pope will face many competing concerns when he takes up residence in the Apostolic Palace, not least increasing secularism. He will also have to confront the sexual abuse crisis, and the possibility that more cases will come to light in countries that have so far escaped notice.

Other Challenges

Pope Francis will also have to face a host of other challenges, such as protecting and promoting religious freedom in the Middle East, India and China, not to mention conscience rights in the United States and Europe.

In his own Latin America, he will have to contend with the loss of Church members to Pentecostal sects. In Africa and Asia, where the Church is expanding rapidly, he will face the challenges of the effects of poverty, globalization and inculturation.

On the ecumenical front, the new Pope can be expected to continue work on improving relations with the Orthodox, Anglicans and Jews, while continuing Benedict XVI's work in interreligious dialogue, particularly with Islam, all the while bolstered by prayers of hundreds of millions of the faithful.

Given all the challenges that lay ahead, it is perhaps fitting he chose the name of the saint whom Christ urged, “Rebuild my Church.”

Pope Francis' humility: stops by hotel to get bags

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
March 14, 2013

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis put his humility on display during his first day as pontiff Thursday, stopping by his hotel to pick up his luggage and pay the bill himself in a decidedly different style for the papacy usually ensconced inside the frescoed halls of the Vatican.

The break from the tradition-minded previous pontificate was evident even in Francis' wardrobe choices: He kept the simple pectoral cross of his days as bishop and eschewed the red cape that Benedict XVI wore when he was presented to the world for the first time in 2005 — choosing instead the simple white cassock of the papacy.

The former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, began his first day as pope making an early morning visit in a simple Vatican car to a Roman basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary and prayed before an icon of the Madonna.

He had told a crowd of some 100,000 people packed in rain-soaked St. Peter's Square just after his election that he intended to pray to the Madonna "that she may watch over all of Rome."

He also told cardinals he would call on retired Pope Benedict XVI, but the Vatican said the visit wouldn't take place for a few days.

The main item on Francis' agenda Thursday was an inaugural afternoon Mass in the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals on Wednesday elected him leader of the 1.2 billion-strong church in an unusually quick conclave.

Francis might be expected to outline some of his priorities as pope in the homily. It was expected to be delivered in Italian, again another break from the traditional-minded Benedict whose first homily as pope was in Latin.

Francis, the first Jesuit pope and first non-European since the Middle Ages, decided to call himself Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, the humble friar who dedicated his life to helping the poor.

The new pope, known for his work with the poor in Buenos Aires' slums, immediately charmed the crowd in St. Peter's, which roared when his name was announced and roared again when he emerged on the loggia of the basilica with a simple and familiar: "Brothers and sisters, good evening."

Waving shyly, he said the cardinals' job was to find a bishop of Rome. "It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth, but here we are. Thank you for the welcome."

The 76-year-old Bergoglio, said to have finished second when Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005, was chosen on just the fifth ballot to replace the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.

Francis urged the crowd to pray for Benedict and immediately after his election spoke by phone with the retired pope, who has been living at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome. A visit to Benedict would be significant because Benedict's resignation has raised concerns about potential power conflicts emerging from the peculiar situation of having a reigning pope and a retired one.

Benedict's longtime aide, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, accompanied Francis to the visit Thursday morning at St. Mary Major, the ANSA news agency reported. In addition to being Benedict's secretary, Gaenswein is also the prefect of the papal household and will be arranging the new pope's schedule.

After the visit, Francis also stopped by a Vatican-owned residence in downtown Rome to pick up the luggage that he left behind before moving into the Vatican hotel for the conclave.

He paid the bill "to give a good example," according to the Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi.

It was a remarkable show of simplicity and humility for a man who could easily have dispatched someone to do the job for him.

He displayed that same sense immediately after his election, shunning the special sedan that was to transport him to the hotel so he could ride on the bus with other cardinals, and refusing even an elevated platform from which he would greet them, according to U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

"He met with us on our own level," Dolan said.

Later, during dinner, the new pope addressed a few words to the cardinals: "'May God forgive you for what you have done,'" Francis told them, Lombardi said.

Like many Latin American Catholics, Francis has a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and his visit to the basilica was a reflection of that. He prayed before a Byzantine icon of Mary and the infant Jesus, the Protectress of the Roman People.

"He had a great devotion to this icon of Mary and every time he comes from Argentina he visits this basilica," said one of the priests at the basilica, the Rev. Elio Montenero. "We were surprised today because did not announce his visit."

He then also went into the main altar area of the basilica and prayed before relics of the manger in Bethlehem where Jesus is said to have been born — an important pilgrimage spot for Jesuits.

Francis' election elated Latin America, home to 40 percent of the world's Catholics which has nevertheless long been underrepresented in the church leadership. On Wednesday, drivers honked their horns in the streets of Buenos Aires and television announcers screamed with elation at the news.

Cardinal Thomas Collins, the archbishop of Toronto, said the cardinals clearly chose Francis because he was simply "the best person to lead the church."

"I can't speak for all the cardinals but I think you see what a wonderful pope he is," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "He's just a very loving, wonderful guy. We just came to appreciate the tremendous gifts he has. He's much beloved in his diocese in Argentina. He has a great pastoral history of serving people."

The new pontiff brings a common touch. The son of middle-class Italian immigrants, he denied himself the luxuries that previous cardinals in Buenos Aires enjoyed. He lived in a simple apartment, often rode the bus to work, cooked his own meals and regularly visited slums that ring Argentina's capital.

"If he brings that same desire for a simple lifestyle to the papal court, I think they are all going to be in shock," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican," a must-read book on the Vatican bureaucracy. "This may not be a man who wants to wear silk and furs."

Francis considers social outreach, rather than doctrinal battles, to be the essential business of the church.

"As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than 2,000 years — that in each other, we see the face of God," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.

As the 266th pope, Francis inherits a Catholic church in turmoil, beset by the clerical sex abuse scandal, internal divisions and dwindling numbers in parts of the world where Christianity had been strong for centuries.

While Latin America is still very Catholic, it has faced competition from aggressive evangelical churches that have chipped away at strongholds like Brazil, where the number of Catholics has dropped from 74 percent of the population in 2000 to 65 percent today. Like Europe, secularism has also taken hold: more and more people simply no longer identify themselves with any organized religion.

Francis is sure to bring the church closer to the poverty-wracked region, while also introducing the world to a very different type of pope. Reversing the typical order of blessings, he asked the crowd to bow their heads.

"I want you to bless me," Francis said.

NEW POPE FRANCIS VISITS ST. MARY MAJOR, COLLECTS SUITCASES AND PAYS BILL AT HOTEL

Vatican City, 14 March 2013 (VIS) – It was no secret. Like one who has no cares that everyone knows what he intended to do, at 8:24pm last night in his first public appearance he stated: “Tomorrow I am going to pray to the Virgin, for the safekeeping of all of Rome.” Then at 8:05 this morning, leaving the Vatican for the first time as pontiff, the newly elected Pope took one of the Gendarmerie's simple service cars to the papal basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest and largest church dedicated to the Virgin in Rome. It is also one of the four largest in Rome and claims the King of Spain as its proto-canon. The new pontiff of the Catholic Church chose to enter through one of the basilica's side doors.

Upon entering the basilica the Pope headed toward the venerated icon of Our Lady “Salus Populi Romani" (Protectress of the Roman People) accompanied by, among others, Cardinal Santos Abril y Castello, archpriest of the basilica and Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome.

The Holy Father, after leaving the Virgin a bouquet of flowers on the altar, prayed silently for about 10 minutes before the main altar that is directly above the crypt containing relics of the crib or manger of the Nativity of Jesus. He also visited the basilica's Sistine Chapel, which is where St. Ignatius of Loyola celebrated his first Mass after being ordained a priest. He waited several months, until Christmas Eve 1538, to say his first Mass. “It is a very significant place in Jesuit spirituality,” Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, noted. Finally, the new Roman Pontiff also stopped to pray before the tomb of St. Pius V, which is also in that chapel.

Pope Francis also greeted the basilica's chapter of canons, confessors, and priests as well as all the personnel that work there and the faithful and journalists that he met along the way.

The Holy Father left as he had arrived, with a minimal escort and entourage. He was accompanied by Archbishop Georg Ganswein and Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, S.C.I., respectively prefect and regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. Along the way, however, he surprised everyone by first sending an affectionate greeting to children from a nearby school and then by asking his driver to stop by the Domus Internationalis “Paulus VI” near Piazza Navona where he had stayed before entering the Conclave. The Pope greeted those working there, gathered his belongings, and paid his bill.



MASS WITH CARDINAL ELECTORS IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL

The Holy Father's first liturgical celebration will be with the cardinals who participated in the Conclave at 5:00pm this afternoon. They will concelebrate the “For the Church” Mass in Latin, with the readings in Italian. As the Vatican spokesman commented, “the Pope's homily will probably be in Italian”. General information regarding the readings and prayers can be found at the Office for Liturgical Celebrations page of the Vatican website.

After that Mass, the Holy Father will go to the apartment prepared for him at the Domus Sanctae Marthae though, as Fr. Lombardi reported, “he will only be there a short time as the Pope is expected to move quickly into the Vatican apartments, which are now almost ready for him.”

The director of the Holy See Press Office commented on the Pope's first public appearance yesterday evening, greeting the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square. He noted a few significant gestures that characterized the simplicity and serenity of that encounter, beginning with the Pope's request that the faith pray for him and his choice of vestments. “The new Pope wore neither the red “mozzetta” (the elbow-length cape worn by high-ranking prelates) nor a stole and his pectoral cross was the same simple one that he has worn as bishop and Cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The choice of his name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, strongly recalls the saint's evangelical spirituality and radical poverty. His papal name is simply 'Francis', not 'Francis I', since he is the first pontiff to bear that name. If after him another pontiff chooses that name then he will be 'Francis I'.”

Another gesture made by the new Pope, Fr. Lombardi continued, was that yesterday in the Sistine Chapel, when his cardinal brothers paid him homage, instead of sitting on the papal throne, he stood as he received them. Then, instead of taking the papal car that had been prepared for him to return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae, he took the same minibus he had arrived in along with the other cardinals. He briefly addressed the cardinals at the festive supper, after thanking them, saying “may God forgive you [for what you have done]”.

The director of the Holy See Press Office also answered a question regarding the renewal of the heads of the curial offices in their positions. “It is traditional that in the first days of his pontificate that the new Pope confirms those appointments. In the past few times they were confirmed “until further notice” in the first days of the pontificate as customary and then, at a later moment, little by little the Popes chose their close collaborators with complete freedom. This is a very personal act of government that falls solely to the Pope.”

Regarding the security problems that could arise from the more “informal” style of the new Pope, Fr. Lombardi pointed out that “those responsible for the security of the pontiff are at his service and adapt their methods to protect each Pope in their personal style. John Paul II, for example, was a pontiff who broke with all expectations and went to greet people without any prior warning. Those entrusted with the Pope's security adjust their methods to protect each in their own way.”

Finally, speaking of Pope Francis' health, Fr. Lombardi confirmed the report that, when he was young, some 40 years ago, he had a pulmonary illness and part of one lung was removed but that “this has never been an obstacle either in his rhythm or for his work, his life, or his pastoral care, as demonstrated by leading a diocese that requires such dedication as that of Buenos Aires.”



POPE FRANCIS' FIRST ACTIVITIES

Vatican City, 14 March 2013 (VIS) – During the course of this afternoon's press conference, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, repeated the information for the upcoming papal events after this afternoon's Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the Cardinal electors.

On Friday, 15 March, at 11:00am in the Clementine Hall he will meet with the full College of Cardinals, electors and non-electors, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. As the Holy See Press Office spokesman noted, this will be a familial gathering, with the Pope personally greeting each of the cardinals.

On Saturday at 11:00am in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope will hold an audience with accredited journalists (permanent and temporary) and those who work in the media.

On Sunday, 17 March at 12:00pm, he will recite the first Angelus of his papacy from the papal apartments overlooking St. Peter's Square, as is customary.

On Tuesday, 19 March—the Feast of St. Joseph, patron of the Church—the Mass to inaugurate the new papacy will be held at 9:30am in St. Peter's Square. No tickets will be issued for that Mass. All who wish may attend.

On Wednesday, 20 March, he will hold an audience with fraternal delegates representing the heads of the various Eastern rite Churches so there will not be a General Audience.

Bishops across America voiced joy and gratitude over Pope Francis accepting his election as Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ on March 13.
“I am very happy with the election of Pope Francis,” Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles said. “For us as Catholics, this is a beautiful spiritual moment, a time of joy and thanksgiving. A time for prayer for the whole Church.”
Archbishop Gomez called it a “beautiful sign” that our new Pope is from the Americas, adding that his election “is a call for all of us to strive for holiness and to work to make our countries and our continents a 'new world of faith.'”
Pope Francis was the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires. White smoke wafted from the Sistine Chapel at 7:06 in the evening in Rome on Wednesday, announcing his election.
He greeted the crowds of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square an hour later, after spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the Pauline Chapel.
The new pontiff was elected during the fifth ballot of the conclave, on its second day.
Archbishop Gomez noted that Pope Francis has been a “humble man” with a “desire for holiness,” who is “a defender of the poor, a strong teacher, and a leader committed to renewal in the Church and the new evangelization.”
He concluded his statement by asking Our Lady of Guadalupe's intercession for Pope Francis.
Bishop James Conley of Lincoln said his local Church in Nebraska “rejoices with the Universal Church on the election of Pope Francis.”
“Our new Holy Father is a man of deep prayer, humility and absolute fidelity to the doctrine and discipline of the Catholic Church,” he noted.
“He understands the plight of the poor and has a real heart for the New Evangelization.”
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. said he and the local faithful “pledge to him our loyalty and love as the Vicar of Christ, the visible head of the Church Universal and Servant of the servants of God.”
“We thank God for the many intellectual talents and spiritual qualities, pastoral experience and effective ministry of the new Pope.”
“In Pope Francis, we recognize the successor to Peter and the visible sign of the unity of the Church spread throughout the whole world. He is the touchstone for the mission, message and tradition of the Church,” said Cardinal Wuerl.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York weighed in that the election of Pope Francis “marks a great milestone in our church.”
Archbishop Alexander Sample, who is to be installed next month in Portland in Oregon, urged prayer for Pope Francis through Twitter: “Begin praying now for Pope Francis. He has asked us to do so, and so we will!” he wrote.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston stated that “I join my brother Cardinals in giving thanks to God for the election of Pope Francis...the world will greatly benefit from Pope Francis witnessing Jesus’ call for us to love God and love one another.”
“We pledge our faithful support for the Holy Father as he leads the Church in proclaiming the New Evangelization, inviting all people to a develop a closer relationship with Christ and to share that gift with others.”
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said Pope Francis “is a wonderful choice; a pastor God sends not just to the Church but to every person of good will who honestly yearns for justice, peace and human dignity in our time.”
In remarks to EWTN News March 13, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver reflected that “today is a day of great joy for the entire Church.”
“Pope Francis has been called to the ministry of St. Peter: to be the 'visible source and foundation' of unity in the Church.”


Read more: www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=7239#ixzz2NX3i0Vir

Well, here it comes. The media's honeymoon with the new pope is over. The knives are out and the wolves are attacking. After being lauded for only a day as somebody who might salvage the Church from the supposed constant series of scandals and disasters of Benedict's papacy, Francis is quickly becoming the new target of the liberal media. His remarks in recent years in opposition to gay marriage and adoption have apparently set off the media's quest to find anything possible to tarnish his image.


Humble pope has complicated past

By Mariano Castillo
CNN
March 14, 2013

Pope Francis is being painted as a humble and simple man, but his past is tinged with controversy surrounding topics as sensitive as gay marriage and political atrocities.

Questions linger about Francis' actions during the nation's dark days: the so-called Dirty War, when Argentina was ruled by dictators. The gay marriage issue came to the forefront during Francis' political fight with Argentina's president.

The conservative pontiff may hold firm on some issues, experts say, but he may be flexible on others.

"If you think that (Francis) isn't going to change anything, you're wrong," said Gustavo Girard, a retired doctor who knew Francis during his early years in the priesthood. "But is he going to approve of gay marriage tomorrow? No."

Don't be surprised, Girard said, if the new pope shows flexibility on contraceptives, but don't expect him to budge on the Church's opposition to abortion.

There's been no shortage of praise for Francis as a passionate preacher and pragmatic man who prefers public transportation to private cars. It goes to his reputation as an independent thinker. But look deeper into Francis' history to see a more complicated man who's been formed by the times he's lived in.


Dark times

Possibly the darkest period during Francis' rise to power took place when he served as the nation's top Jesuit.

In 1976, during Argentina's dictatorship, the navy kidnapped priests Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics. Some have accused Francis, then provincial superor for the Society of Jesus, of not doing enough to assert his influence and free them. They were found five months later.

The incident led to rumors and allegations that Francis was complicit in the dictatorship's appalling atrocity -- that he didn't do enough to expose it and perhaps was even partly responsible for the priests' prolonged detention, said Jim Nicholson, a former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Although the allegations against Francis have never been proved, they continue to haunt him, so much so that the human rights group Center for Legal and Social Studies in Argentina opposes Francis' selection as pope.

Situations relating to the priests' kidnappings "have not been clarified," said the group's director, Gaston Chillier.

Many of the allegations against Francis were researched by Argentine journalist Horacio Verbitsky, who wrote a book about the church's role during the dictatorship.

In a 2010 column, Verbitsky alleged that Francis had lied under oath during an investigation into the theft of babies from prisoners during the dictatorship.

Francis testified that he never knew about the baby-stealing until after the dictatorship had fallen, Verbitsky wrote, but a victim Verbitsky interviewed claims that Francis knew about it at the time. She said she had written to Francis about it.

Nicholson said there's no evidence to support the allegations.


The fight

Then there's the fight between the archbishop and the president.

In 2010, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner led a battle to pass a bill to legalize gay marriage.

Francis, then archbishop of Buenos Aires, put himself right in the middle of the fight, calling the proposed legislation "a destructive attack on God's plan."

With a front-page counterpunch, the president said the church possessed "attitudes reminiscent of medieval times and the Inquisition."

The bill eventually became law, and Francis left the battlefield defeated.

But some supporters hold it up as evidence of his traditionalist views.

Perhaps it's no surprise Kirchner gave Francis a rather dry congratulations after his election, said Rosendo Fraga, an Argentine political analyst.

The president failed to even mention that Francis is the first pope from Argentina or the Western Hemisphere, a signal that her government may feel at odds with the church.
Was it a snub?

Fraga said Francis "was a critic of corruption, of social inequality, drugs, human trafficking, which in reality wasn't an agenda of confrontation, but that the government perceived as an agenda of confrontation."

Girard interpreted the war of words differently. Francis was not lashing out at just the bill but at what he saw as a larger effort by the government to divide the country along political lines.

This is why the cardinals selected him, Girard said: Francis doesn't fit into a mold.

"They can be progressive or conservative," he said. "But they're not dumb."

Pope Francis meets with all cardinals ahead of inauguration

By Laura Smith-Spark and Hada Messia,
CNN
March 15, 2013

Vatican City (CNN) -- After the pomp and activities surrounding his election as pontiff, Pope Francis is enjoying a quieter day Friday -- meeting with all the Catholic cardinals, who wait to see what changes he will make.

The late morning meeting in Vatican City's Clementine Hall was the only event on his calendar for the day.

"In these days, we have noticed the effect and solidarity of the universal church, and also the interest of so many people who may not share our faith," he said. "Nonetheless, they respect it and admire the church and the Holy See."

It was "very moving" to meet the people who had waited to see the presentation of the pope in St. Peter's Square, he said.

Francis also expressed his gratitude to Benedict XVI, saying that during his nearly eight years as pontiff, he had "reinvigorated the church with his goodness, faith, knowledge and humility."

He had words of encouragement for the cardinals, too, saying they were a community and urging them to "not let us give way to pessimism."

Friday's gathering, aired on Vatican TV, gave the new pontiff a chance to catch up with the cardinals who were not eligible to vote in the conclave -- those age 80 or older. That's nearly half of all cardinals.

Remarking on the fact that many were getting on in years, he said the cardinals should pass on their experience to younger generations.

"Wisdom is like a good bottle of wine, and we must give it to the young people," he said.

Francis spoke mainly from a text but deviated often from it to make spontaneous remarks.

The pope, dressed simply in white, then exchanged a few warm words with each cardinal as they left the hall one by one.

Come Tuesday, St. Peter's Square will again bustle with the faithful, tourists and locals during the official Mass to inaugurate him as the bishop of Rome.

The choice of day to anoint Francis as the holy father of the Catholic Church carries a rich symbolism: It is the day that Catholics celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph to honor Jesus' father on Earth, the carpenter Joseph. It also happens to be Father's Day in Italy.

The square is expected to fill up again with as many as 100,000 onlookers.

On Saturday, Francis will give an audience to the media. He will probably hold Mass on Sunday, then deliver the traditional Angelus, one of the most common Catholic prayers, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman.

Palm Sunday is just a week later, and the new pontiff will be busy, as it is the holiday that kicks off Holy Week, which culminates in Easter celebrations.

As pope, Francis will have plenty to deal with. He takes the helm of a Roman Catholic Church that has been rocked in recent years by sex abuse by priests, and claims of corruption and infighting among the church hierarchy.


A new direction

The Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, said Francis was making his own mark as the 266th pope -- and shaking things up a little.

As head of the church, the Argentine is following the same path he took during his years as archbishop in Buenos Aires, he said.

"He was a pastor there, very close to the people, and he's continued that -- he's simply changed the color of his robes right now, and the world is paying attention to every move, every word, every gesture," Rosica said.

"Those of us who were used to him in Buenos Aires are not at all surprised with this, but I can tell you that it does send some jolts through the system here, which is so deeply rooted in tradition and beautiful ceremonies and following the Book.

"Pope Francis is telling us that the Book is very important, but there's even something more important: Be faithful, be close to the people, smile and take things as they come."

Rosica said the media's focus on the scandals surrounding the church missed the point of why Francis was elected as pope.

"The cardinals chose someone who is a model of holiness, they chose someone who has a real passion for evangelization ... which is more than just a buzzword, this is what the church is all about.

"They chose someone who has an extraordinary record for compassion, for relating to people not just within the Catholic Church ... but those on the fringes, the poor, the destitute, the disenfranchised, those living in irregular relationships, those who have suffered, those who have brought suffering upon themselves."


'Put faith first'

Francis set the tone for his vision of the church's future in his first Mass as pope Thursday, held in the Sistine Chapel with the cardinals who participated in the conclave.

With solemnity, he delivered a short, unscripted homily about moving the Catholic Church forward to the cardinal electors, who were dressed, like him, in simple light yellow robes.

He called for a return to humble Christian values in guiding the church, saying its leaders must put faith at the heart of what they do -- or risk it becoming nothing more than a charity.

"We can walk as much as we want, we can build many things, but if we do not profess Jesus Christ, things go wrong. We may become a charitable NGO, but not the church, the bride of the Lord," he said.

"When we are not walking, we stop moving. When we are not building on the stones, what happens? The same thing that happens to children on the beach when they build sandcastles: Everything is swept away, there is no solidity."

After the Mass, the seals were ceremonially removed from the doors of the papal apartment at the Vatican, although renovation work must be done before Francis moves in. The apartment was sealed after Benedict XVI's departure two weeks ago.


Pope of firsts

When Jorge Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony at the Vatican on Wednesday evening to reveal himself as the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, he made history as the first non-European pope of the modern era, the first from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name Francis.

Already, a picture is emerging of a humble man who shies away from the trappings of his new status and is devoted to his pastoral duties.

He takes charge of a global flock at a time when confidence in the church has been dented by revelations of sex scandals and corruption claims.

A group representing the alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests wrote an open letter Francis on Thursday, requesting a meeting.

"Your predecessor met only a few times with a few carefully chosen victims in tightly choreographed settings, as he visited nations where this crisis had reached a fever pitch," the letter from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests states.

"We write today seeking a different kind of meeting -- one in which our respective organizations -- yours, huge and struggling, and ours, small and struggling -- can begin to work together to safeguard children across the globe."

Before the conclave, the group had published a list of potential pontiffs who they felt might sweep their concerns under the rug, as well as a list of candidates they believed would lend an open ear to their concerns.

Pope Francis was on neither list.


Conservative reformer

The 76-year-old is the first pope to take the name Francis. He does so in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, revered among Catholics for his work with the poor.

He brings together the first and the developing worlds. Latin America is home to 480 million Catholics -- around 40% of all those in the world.

The pontiff is seen as a conservative in doctrinal matters, as was his predecessor. As a cardinal, he clashed with the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.

However, Francis' first public appearance as pope -- when he appealed for the crowds to pray for him before he gave a blessing -- suggested a "different pastoral style" from that of Benedict, who took a more academic approach, said Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.

Francis stood, rather than sitting on a throne, to receive the oath of allegiance from his fellow cardinals after his election, and for his appearance on the balcony wore just a white cassock and a simple cross, eschewing gold or jewels, Lombardi said.

Also, on the ride back from the Sistine Chapel to the Santa Marta residence, he declined the papal car that had been prepared for him and instead took the bus with other cardinals, Lombardi said.

In Buenos Aires, Francis chose to live in an apartment rather than the archbishop's palace, passed on a chauffeured limousine, took the bus to work and cooked his own meals.

As a Jesuit, Francis is a member of the Society of Jesus, one of the biggest and most important orders in the church.

Jesuits are recognized for their exceptional educational institutions and focus on social justice.

They have a reputation for avoiding positions of power.

RESPONSE TO ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BERGOGLIO IN ARGENTINA

Vatican City, 15 March 2013 (VIS) – At this afternoon's press conference, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office read a statement responding to allegations made against Cardinal Bergoglio in Argentina. It states:

“The campaign against Bergoglio is well-known and dates back to many years ago. It has been carried out by a publication specializing in sometimes slanderous and defamatory campaigns. The anticlerical cast of this campaign and of other accusations against Bergoglio is well-known and obvious.”

“The charges refer to the time before Bergoglio became bishop [of Buenos Aires], when he was Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina and accuse him of not having protected two priests who were kidnapped.”

“This was never a concrete or credible accusation in his regard. He was questioned by an Argentinian court as someone aware of the situation but never as a defendant. He has, in documented form, denied any accusations.”

“Instead, there have been many declarations demonstrating how much Bergoglio did to protect many persons at the time of the military dictatorship. Bergoglio's role, once he became bishop, in promoting a request for forgiveness of the Church in Argentina for not having done enough at the time of the dictatorship is also well-known.”

“The accusations pertain to a use of historical-sociological analysis of the dictatorship period made years ago by left-wing anticlerical elements to attack the Church. They must be firmly rejected.”

“Regarding “Liberation Theology”: Bergoglio has always referred to the Instructions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He has always rejected violence saying that its price is always paid by the weakest.”

The real winner of the 2013 conclave: St. Francis of Assisi
John L. Allen Jr. | Mar. 15, 2013All Things Catholic

Although 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was the one who stepped out onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square clad in white Wednesday night, there's a good argument that the real winner of the 2013 conclave wasn't in Rome, and wasn't even alive to see the result.

In effect, the landslide winner was actually St. Francis of Assisi.
The case for the 2013 papal election as a tribute to the most iconic saint in Catholic tradition rests on three points.

The O'Malley boom

The biggest surprise of the pre-conclave period was the emergence of Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston as a crowd favorite. As I said during CNN's broadcast of the Mass Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice, if the custom of papal election by popular acclamation were still around, it's entirely possible O'Malley might be the one sitting on the Throne of Peter.
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O'Malley was the runaway winner of an online poll for the next pope sponsored by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, reflecting popular sentiment in Italy. In the week prior to the opening of the conclave, I couldn't get into a cab, walk into a restaurant or return to my hotel without some Italian volunteering the opinion that the 68-year-old Capuchin with the brown habit and the beard would be a great choice.

As that buzz began to build, most media commentators assumed it was based on O'Malley's profile as a reformer on the church's clerical abuse scandals. When you asked typical Italians, however, that's not usually where they began. The first thing they would usually say is O'Malley is a Franciscan and therefore a "man of the people."
Franciscans are rock stars in Italy and always have been. In the popular imagination, they're the polar opposite of stereotypes of princes of the church hungry for wealth, power and control. Franciscans are perceived as simple, humble men, able both by word and deed to connect with the hopes and dreams of ordinary folks.
The O'Malley boom illustrated that what the Catholic "street" wanted was a new Francis, a pope to bring his love affair with "Lady Poverty" to the church's highest office.

(Some observers suggested O'Malley became a sensation because he reminded people of Padre Pio, the famed Capuchin visionary and stigmatic. Padre Pio certainly packs a punch in the culture, but he's beloved because he incarnated the spirit of Francis of Assisi.)

The choice of name
When Bergoglio was announced, commentators immediately seized on several surprising aspects of the result:
• He had not been identified as one of the leading candidates heading into the conclave.
• He's the first pope from outside Europe in at least 1,000 years, depending on how one defines "Europe."
• He's the first pope from Latin America.
• He's the first Jesuit pope.

Those are all noteworthy points, but the most arresting thing about the new pope is his decision to take the name of Francis in honor of the great patron of the earth, of simplicity and of the poor.
In itself, the selection of Bergoglio rates as surprising but not stunning. He wasn't on anybody's "A list" of papal candidates, and cardinals themselves have said they didn't go into the conclave thinking he was the clear choice. Yet he was there in the background, lurking on most B and C lists, especially since he drew strong support back in 2005.

(As a footnote, Time magazine touted me in a March 14 piece as "the man who picked the pope" because I published a profile of Bergoglio in my "Papabile of the Day" series March 3. In truth, I profiled more than 20 contenders and styled Bergoglio as a definite fallback possibility. I had him on the list, but not at the top.)
It wasn't much of a surprise that the cardinals turned to a non-European and a Latin American, since many of them had said out loud that's what they wanted. As for picking a Jesuit, there have been other popes from religious orders, and sooner or later, it was bound to fall on the Society of Jesus.

The name, however, was a stunner.

No matter how long his papacy lasts, the new pontiff's very first decision will probably rate as among his boldest. Over the years, I've talked to historians of the papacy who regarded "Francis" as a name no pope could, or should, ever take. It's like "Jesus" or "Peter," they argued -- there's only one, so it would be borderline sacrilegious for a pope to claim it for himself.

On TV, I tried to explain what the name "Francis" conjures up in the Catholic imagination. For most Catholics, I said, there are two faces of the church. There's the institutional church, with its rules and dogma, its wealth and power, its hierarchical chain of command. Then there's the church of the spirit, a humble and simple community of equals with a special love for the least of this world. Ideally, the two go together, but in any case, they're distinct.

By taking the name "Francis," the pope effectively said the spirit of that second face of the church needs to shine through anew in the first.

Already, the new pope has sent small but unmistakable signals that simplicity and humility will be hallmarks of his reign: asking the crowd in the square to bless him before he blessed them; dropping by his Roman hotel to pay his bill; taking the bus with the cardinals as they left the Casa Santa Marta rather than the usual papal limousine. His first act after donning his papal vestments and returning to the Sistine Chapel wasn't to plant himself on the papal throne, but to walk over to 76-year-old Cardinal Anthony Okogie of Nigeria, who entered the conclave in a wheelchair, and give him a special greeting.
What has made this pope an early hit, in other words, is the sense that Francis is more than a name, but rather a statement about the kind of pope he wants to be.

(There was some early confusion about whether the pope meant to honor Francis of Assisi or St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary. The cardinals later explained that when Bergoglio announced his name inside the Sistine Chapel, he added that he did so in honor of Francis of Assisi.)

A mandate for reform

Heading into the conclave, an anti-establishment mood was clear among many of the cardinals who were preparing to elect a successor to Benedict XVI. The diagnosis was that Benedict's support team had dropped the ball over the last eight years in terms of business management and the cardinals were looking to shake things up.
In part, that voter discontent expressed itself as a strong bias against any Italian candidate. One cardinal told me on background that in a different conclave, Angelo Scola of Milan might well have been elected pope, but in this atmosphere, no Italian was going to get 77 votes.
(As a humorous aside, the Italian bishops' conference accidentally sent out an email moments after the "Habemus papam" announcement congratulating Scola. The gaffe will go down as their "Dewey Defeats Truman" moment.)

Over and over, cardinals said they wanted a serious reform of the Roman Curia, pushing it toward greater transparency,

At the same time, they knew they weren't just hiring a CEO. Better business management in the church is important, but somehow it must be grounded in the Gospels. That's the sense in which St. Francis was a great reformer, the one whom God asked to "rebuild his church," and reform in this Franciscan sense is what the cardinals seem to be hoping "Papa Bergoglio" can deliver.

Henri De Lubac once wrote that the difference between St. Francis and Martin Luther is the difference between a reform aimed at holiness and a reform aimed at criticism. In choosing Bergoglio, the cardinals seem to have opted for the former.

Whether the new pope can pull it off is anyone's guess. The cardinals thought they were voting for reform eight years ago when they elected Joseph Ratzinger, a man who was in the Roman Curia but not of it. It didn't play out that way, and now the cardinals have turned to another pope well into his 70s, this time a true outsider.

The former pope embraced Benedict as his patron, signifying a scholarly and quasi-monastic style. This pope has chosen Francis, suggesting an earthier and more popular way of living the faith, one that emphasizes closeness to the poor. Both Benedict and Francis
were great reformers, but the approach is different.

Francis in the streets, Francis in the new pope's name, and Francis in the mandate the pope has been issued. All in all, not a bad month for the "little poor man" of Assisi. Now the spotlight shines on the pope who carries his name and all the expectations it arouses.

Jesuit doorman surprised by Pope's phone call
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Rome, Italy, Mar 15, 2013 / 11:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- He thought it was a joke. The young doorman at the Jesuit motherhouse in Rome never expected to receive a phone call from Pope Francis.
The Holy Father had to patiently and kindly convince the doorman who he was in order to speak with the Father General of the Jesuits to thank him for a letter the Pontiff received upon his election.
According to Father Claudio Barriga, SJ, who recounted the incident in an email to fellow Jesuits around the world, the unexpected phone call from Pope came around 10:15 a.m. Rome time on Thursday.
“The doorman answered the phone. They said it was call from St. Martha’s Residence and he heard a soft and serene voice: ‘Buon Giorno, sono il Papa Francesco, vorrei parlare con il Padre Generale (Good morning, it’s Pope Francis. I’d like to speak with the Father General).’”
“The doorman almost answered: ‘Yeah, and I’m Napoleon,’ but he resisted. Instead he replied curtly, ‘May I ask who’s calling?’ The Pope realized the young Italian man didn’t believe it was him, so he kindly repeated, ‘Seriously, it’s Pope Francis. What’s your name?’”
“Ever since the Pope’s election, our phone has been ringing every two minutes and a lot of people are calling, including a few lunatics,” Father Barriga said.
“Once the doorman realized his mistake he answered with a hesitant and nervous voice: ‘My name is Andrew.’”
“How are you, Andrew?” asked the Pope.
“Fine, pardon me, just a little bit confused.”
The Holy Father responded, “Don’t worry, could you please connect me with the Father General? I would like to thank him for the beautiful letter he sent me.”
“Pardon me, Your Holiness, I’ll connect you right now,” said the doorman.
“No problem. I’ll wait as long as necessary,” said Pope Francis.
The doorman handed the phone to the Father General’s private secretary, Brother Alfonso.
“Hello?” Brother Alfonso said.
“With whom am I speaking?” the Pope asked.
“It’s Alfonso, the Father General’s personal secretary,” he replied.
“It’s the Pope, I would like to speak with the Father General to thank him for the beautiful letter he sent me,” the Holy Father said.
“Sure, just a moment,” Brother Alfonso replied in amazement.
As he made his way to the office of Father Adolfo Nicolas, the Jesuit Father General, he continued his conversation.
“Holy Father, congratulations on your election! We are all happy here for your election, we are praying a lot for you,” Brother Alfonso told him.
“Praying that I keep going or that I turn back?” the Pope joked.
“That you keep going, of course,” he replied, as the Holy Father laughed.
“Stunned and bewildered, Brother Alfonso didn’t even bother to knock and simply entered the office of the Father General, who looked at him with surprise. He gave him the phone, looked at him and said: The Pope,” Father Barriga recounted.
“We don’t know the details about what happened next, but the Pope cordially thanked the Father General for his letter. The Father General said he would like to see him to greet him. The Pope said he would instruct his secretary so that they could meet as soon as possible and that somebody from the Vatican would be in touch,” Father Barriga said in his message.

Humble pope may signal change for Asia
Catholics hope for return to 'true mission'
Ryan Dagur, Jakarta
Indonesia
2013-03-15 15:46:56
Catholic leaders and civil society organizations said on Friday that the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis signals hope that the Vatican will pay closer attention to the needs of the poor throughout the world, particularly Indonesia.

Archbishop Johannes Maria Trilaksyanta Pujasumarta of Semarang said the selection of the name Francis, which is reminiscent of St Francis of Assisi, was symbolically important.

“As an individual and also representative of the Indonesia Bishops’ Conference, I express great joy over the election of Pope Francis.”

Civil society workers have said the simplicity of the new pope’s life while he served in Buenos Aires was a character trait that could well inspire Catholics to refocus their faith.

“Yesterday I read an article saying that [then] Cardinal Bergoglio always called on the people of Argentina not to travel to Rome for Easter or Christmas but rather donate the money they would have spent on travel to the poor,” said Eveline Winarko, coordinator of the Community of Sant'Egidio in Jakarta.

“I hope that Pope Francis will help the Church to better reflect its true mission – to love and serve the poor and suffering.”

Maria Yohanista Djou, who works with the Catholic-affiliated NGO Mitra ImaDei that works with women and minority groups, said she hoped Pope Francis would help improve respect and opportunities for women.

“Our Church remains far from the teachings of Jesus. Women are still regarded as a second class group.”

Meanwhile, Lambert Pekikir, head of the Free Papua Movement, said a new pope who is perceived to be closer to the poor and disenfranchised could help end injustice in the country.

“As a Catholic who leads the movement, I hope the Holy Father will open his heart to see the problems in Papua which have persisted for more than 50 years.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday that President Ma Ying-jeou will attend installation ceremonies for Pope Francis and is set to depart for Rome on Sunday.

Ma’s visit will be only the second time that a Taiwan president has visited the Vatican – the only state in Europe that maintains diplomatic ties with Taipei rather than Beijing.

Chen Shui-bian, Ma’s predecessor, attended the funeral of Blessed John Paul in 2005 but did not attend the installation of Benedict XVI.

One Church observer who asked not to be identified said such a trip would have been unlikely in the past and that his attendance at the installation of Pope Francis next week was telling.

“Ma’s visiting the pope was previously seen as impossible under the political shadow of Beijing. The installation as well as stagnating Beijing-Vatican relations has offered a rare chance for a diplomatic breakthrough for Taiwan,” the observer said.

The observer added that it was likely that Beijing had reached some kind of consensus with Taipei so that Ma’s visit to the Vatican would not cause the same tension that followed former President Chen’s so-called “funeral diplomacy” in 2005.

But early indications from Beijing indicate that China intends to take a hard line with the new pontiff, as a foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday said China hopes for flexibility on Pope Francis’s part, including the severing of all diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Local media have reported that the Vatican has assured all the normal courtesies to Ma as head of state upon his arrival, and that Rome has sought Beijing’s understanding in the granting of visas for Ma’s delegation.

Monsignor Paul Russell, the papal representative in Taiwan, further noted that the Holy See was “happy to welcome” President Ma.

After his re-election to a second term last year, Ma – a non-practicing Catholic – expressed his interest in meeting then Pope Benedict in the Vatican to Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, the papal envoy at his inauguration ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Bishops’ Conference of Taiwan will send a 10-member delegation, including bishops and lay Catholics, to attend the installation.

While media reports suggested that the delegation would be traveling with Ma, the bishops’ conference clarified that they were arranging their own travel to Rome.

Pope Francis on mass media and name

Vatican Radio
March 16, 2013

Addressing the media as “dear friends”, Pope Francis spoke of how the role of mass media continues to grow and how it is indispensible for telling the stories of contemporary society. The Pope thanked the media for the service they have rendered over these past days, jokingly remarking on how hard the media has been working. He spoke about the complexity of recounting historical events like the election of a pope and of how important it is to present such an event in the light of Faith. “The Church” – he said – “does not respond to an earthly logic” and can be difficult to communicate effectively because “the nature of the Church is spiritual, not political”. This is the only perspective in which the work of the Church can be presented, said Pope Francis.

“Christ”, he continued, “is the centre, not the Successor of Peter…Christ is the reference point at the heart of the Church, without Him, Peter and the Church would not exist”. The protagonist of all these events, said the Pope, is the Holy Spirit: “it was He who inspired the decision of Benedict XVI for the good of the Church, it was He who inspired the choice of the Cardinals”. It is important to keep this in mind, he added, as we try to interpret the events of the past few days.

Pope Francis then reflected on what he called the “trinity of communication: Truth, Goodness and Beauty”. “We are not called to communicate ourselves, but this trinity…the Church exists to communicate Truth, Goodness and Beauty”.

The Pope then departed from his prepared speech to recount why he chose the name “Francis”. Some people, he said, still don’t understand whether he named himself after Francis Xavier or Francis De Sales or St Francis of Assisi. He described how, during the conclave, he was seated beside the Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paolo and Cardinal Claudio Hummes, a close friend of his. “When the matter became dangerous” – said Pope Francis – “he comforted me”. And when the votes were being counted and it was clear the Pope had been elected, the Cardinals began to applaud and Cardinal Hummes “embraced me and kissed me and said: ‘Don’t forget the poor’…and that struck me…the poor…Immediately I thought of St Francis of Assisi…Francis was a man of peace, a man of poverty, a man who loved and protected creation.” That, said Pope Francis, is how the name came to mind. “How I would love a Church that is poor and for the poor” – he added.

The Pope then continued his account of the name choice by saying how some had suggested he take the name Pope Adrian, because of his association with reforming the Church. And in reference to the fact that he is a Jesuit, the Pope added how others said he should call himself Clement XV to get back at Clement XIV who suppressed the Society of Jesus in 1773…

Pope Francis concluded his encounter with representatives of mass media from all round the world by extending his best wishes to them, their work and their families.

He imparted his apostolic blessing, however, in silence – out of respect, he said, for the fact that “not everyone present belongs to the Catholic faith and others do not believe.” “I respect the conscience of each one of you”, he said, “knowing that each one of you is a Child of God.

May God bless you”.

Francis turns on charm in first meeting with press

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
March 16, 2013

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis offered intimate insights Saturday into the moments after his election, telling journalists that he was immediately inspired to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi because of his work for peace and the poor — and was embraced by another cardinal amid applause inside the conclave.

"Let me tell you a story," Francis said in a break from his prepared text during a special gathering for thousands of journalists, media workers and guests in the Vatican's auditorium.

Francis then described how he was comforted by his friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, as it appeared the voting was going his way and it seemed "a bit dangerous" that he would reach the two-thirds necessary to be elected.

When the threshold was reached, applause erupted in the frescoed Sistine Chapel.

"He (Hummes) hugged me. He kissed me. He said don't forget about the poor," Francis recalled. "And that's how in my heart came the name Francis of Assisi," who devoted his life to the poor, missionary outreach and caring for God's creation.

He said some have wondered whether his name was a reference to other Francis figures, including St. Frances de Sales or even the co-founder of the pope's Jesuit order, Francis Xavier.

But he said he was inspired immediately after the election when he thought about wars. St. Francis of Assisi, the pope said, was "the man of the poor. The man of peace. The man who loved and cared for creation — and in this moment we don't have such a great relationship with creation. The man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man."

"Oh how I would like a poor church and a church for the poor," Francis said, sighing.

He then joked that some other cardinals suggested other names: Hadrian VI, after a great church reformer — a reference to the need for the pope to clean up the Vatican's messy bureaucracy. Someone else suggested Clement XV, to counter Clement XIV, who suppressed the Jesuit order in 1773.

The gathering in the Vatican begins a busy week for the pontiff that includes his installation Mass on Tuesday.

Among the talks, the Vatican said Saturday, will be a session with the president of Francis' homeland Argentina on Monday. The pope has sharply criticized Christina Fernandez over her support for liberal measures such as gay marriage and free contraceptives.

But the most closely watched appointment will be Francis' journey next Saturday to the hills south of Rome at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo for lunch with Benedict XVI, a historic encounter that brings together the new pope and the first pope to resign in six centuries, which set in motion the stunning papal transition.

The Saturday meeting between the two will be private, but every comment and gesture on the sidelines will be scrutinized for hints of how the unprecedented relationship will take shape between the emeritus pontiff and his successor.

Benedict has been out of the public eye since officially leaving the papacy on Feb. 28 and the Vatican dismissed any suggestion that the former pope helped shaped the discussions inside the secret gathering of cardinals that selected Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio on Wednesday as the first pontiff from Latin America. Vatican officials said there was no contact between the papal electors and Benedict before the conclave.

Benedict has promised to remain outside church affairs and dedicate himself to prayer and meditation. Pope Francis, however, has shown no reluctance to invoke Benedict's legacy and memory, in both an acknowledgment of the unusual dimensions of his papacy and also a message that he is comfortable with the situation and is now fully in charge.
World leaders and senior international envoys, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, are expected on Tuesday for the formal installation of Pope Francis. It offers the new pope his first opportunities to flex his diplomatic skills as head of the Vatican City State.

But the most potentially sensitive talks could come with Fernandez after years of open tensions over the then-archbishop's strong opposition to initiatives that led Argentina to become Latin American country to legalize gay marriage. He also opposed — but failed to stop — Fernandez from promoting free contraception and artificial insemination.

Also Saturday, the pope confirmed all the current Vatican officials in their jobs "for the time being," the Vatican said, noting that he will take time before deciding to make changes in the church administration, which has been tarnished by leaked documents that raise questions about financial transparency and possible attempts to protect scandal-tainted clerics.

During his audience with journalists Saturday, Francis poured on the charm, thanking journalists for their work covering the election — "and you have worked, eh?" he said chuckling. He urged them to view the church not as a political entity but as a "dramatically spiritual" human institution and learn its true nature "with its virtues and its sins."

"The church exists to communicate this: truth, goodness and beauty personified. We are all called not to communicate ourselves, but this essential trio."

In a recognition that not all journalists in the room were Christian or even believers, he offered a blessing without the traditional Catholic formula or gesture, saying merely that what was important was one's conscience and knowing that "each one of you is a child of God."

Afterwards, Francis met with some of the senior Vatican communications officials as well as a handful of journalists, including one who offered him a mate gourd, the small cup with straw that holds the traditional Argentine herbal tea that Francis loves. Those who knew him embraced him warmly.

"Simple, simpatico and very direct," is how Iacopo Scaramuzzi, the Vatican correspondent for the Italian news agency TMNews, described his brief greeting with the pope.

Alessandro Forlani, a visually impaired journalist for Italian RAI radio, approached the pope with his seeing eye dog Asia.

"He has a special relationship with creation in the spirit of Saint Francis," Forlani said afterward. "I asked for a blessing for my wife and daughter at home. He added 'a blessing for the dog too' and bent down to bless it."

benefan, 16.03.2013 14:19:

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Francis turns on charm in first meeting with press

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Thanks, benefan, for posting this article.
It is too bad that I was only able to watch a few minutes of this meeting with the press but I am glad to read more details in this article.
It seems: "Well done, Francis".

On the other hand I have to admit that I don't know if I ever get used to him, I really feel a kind of indignation when I see Francis:
There is a stranger sitting on our Papa's chair!

I know what you mean, Simone. It is very hard to adjust.


ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY FATHER

Vatican City, 16 March 2013 (VIS) – Following is a list of the upcoming activities of the Holy Father scheduled between 17 and 24 March.

17 March, Sunday:10:00am, private Mass in the Vatican parish of Santa Ana.
12:00pm, Angelus from the window of his private study overlooking St. Peter's Square.

18 March, Monday:12:50pm, meeting with the President of the Republic of Argentina at the Domus Sancthae Marthae.

19 March, Tuesday:9:30am, Eucharistic celebration to inaugurate the Petrine ministry in St. Peter's Square (Entrance into the square will be permitted beginning at 6:30am. No tickets will be issued for that Mass. All who wish may attend.) Afterwards, before the Altar of the Confession in the Basilica, he will receive the greetings of heads of official delegations and later will return to the Domus Sancthae Marthae for lunch.

20 March, Wednesday: 11:00am, audience with fraternal delegates in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

22 March, Friday: 11:00am, audience with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in the Sala Regia of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

23 March, Saturday: 12:00pm, departure in helicopter from the Vatican heliport. At 12:15pm he will meet and lunch with Pope emeritus Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo and will then return to the Vatican.

24 March, Sunday:9:30am, Palm Sunday Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square.
12:00pm, Angelus.

Simone, I too think it will take time to adjust to him. We are so used to our Benedetto, elegant and courteous and such beautiful language in teaching us. What I find difficult also are the constant media comments that he is so "pastoral" ... as if Benedict were not. Francis is not the first Pope to give an off the cuff homily .. remember Benedict's first celebration of the Baptism of the Lord in the Sistine Chapel? He put down all his prepared remarks and spoke from the heart> I still refer to his remarks when I teach infant baptism classes.

It's as if his predecessor didn't exist as far as media are concerned. Even Catholic commentators can't take a few minutes to refer to Benedict and his wonderful qualities.

Mother of the Church, pray for us ...