Saturday, March 16, 2013

Hail to Pope Francis

Pope Francis (Photo Source: guardian.co.uk)
 We have a new pope!

As Catholics worldwide rejoice upon seeing the white smoke from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, I also anticipated knowing who our new pope would be.

Our new pope is Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 76-year-old Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He is the first pope to assume the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

He appeared at the window of St Peter's Basilica March 13, 2013. Before blessing the crowd in St Peter's Square, he asked them calmly to pray for him. Like everyone else, I was moved by his humility.From the news, I've learned that he is a humble man leading a simple life.

I believe that God will give him more strength as he spread the gospel, restore the people's faith and face the challenges of leading the Catholic Church.

Viva il Papa!