The promise of Pope Francis

IF Pope Benedict believed that, by resigning, he would be making way for a much younger, more vigorous man, clearly capable of taking on the challenges that proved too exhausting for the man now known as Pope Emeritus, he may be somewhat surprised at the Cardinals’ choice.

The 76-year-old Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who emerged on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica blinking in surprise, does not appear the ideal candidate for reforming the Roman Catholic Church’s archaic and inefficient bureaucracy, or for fulfilling Benedict’s promise to root out the evil of child sex abuse from the Church. But appearances can be deceptive.

It will be through the appointments that the new Pope Francis makes during the coming days that his intentions will become clearer. But the simple and direct approach to his faith that the first Jesuit pope has taken throughout his life, his self-denial and eschewing of the trappings that came with his status of Cardinal, suggest that he will have little patience with the more Byzantine workings of the Church hierarchy.

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It also suggests that, as a man who has dedicated his life to the poor and downtrodden, his natural sympathies will be with the victims of abuse rather than with the public image of the Church, the prime concern of many of those who have sought to downplay or cover up the scandal of paedophile priests.

Certainly, Argentina’s former Cardinal Bergoglio is not afraid of entering controversial areas, as his comment about the Falkland Islands being “usurped” by Britain confirms. In his new role, however, the Pope may find that there is no place for Argentinian nationalism within the Vatican and that the challenges of putting his own house in order will take precedence over attempts to sort out matters of international sovereignty.

Of course, the true character of this papacy will emerge only over time. Although it seems certain that Francis will not be a force for radical change in the social sphere – 
his opposition to gay marriage, to women priests and other threats to Church orthodoxy is well documented – the hope is that he will bring reform to those areas of the Church where it is most urgently needed. A new pope will always bring with him the promise of renewal and the Church, indeed the wider world, awaits the first Latin American papacy with hope and expectation.

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