When was francis elected pope

Above all, he was a man of courage with a vision, a missionary vision, able to open new horizons for the church, a man committed to dialogue—with Jews, with Muslims, with other Christians and with those who professed no faith.

He was above all a pastor. His brief intervention in the General Congregation as well as his interaction with many cardinals during these days had revealed this clearly.

In addition, 68 electors who had participated in the conclave knew him as runner-up then, and several—like Maradiaga, Monswengo, Walter Kasper, Jean-Louis Tauran, Turkson, Gracias and others, too—did not disguise their active support for him. The undecided had this night to make up their minds; tomorrow morning, they would have to cast their votes again Bergoglio's has become a truly inspirational papacy.

Francis has endured attacks from the right and has come out the stronger. The Church will renew itself over time under his leadership. I agree that Pope Francis has been an inspiring leader, though there is still much to do regarding the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.

He should be lauded, however, for his humility and personal example. Rather than reside in the Papal apartments, he took up residence in the Santa Marta hostel. He has also been lauded for his role in the creation of, and support for, the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, which is intended to reaffirm and fully protect the human rights of all refugees and migrants regardless of status. Many UN delegates have praised Pope Francis for the use of his papal moral authority in the creation of principles for cooperation in the efforts to protect migrants and their families.

He has also been vocal about efforts to combat human trafficking and slavery, and he strongly supports interfaith dialogue.

Much more needs to be done, however, regarding the sex abuse problem in the Church, and we can hope and pray that the Pope, who was known as an astute, humble, and hard-working leader of the Buenos Aires archdiocese, will find solutions to the evil of sexual abuse that has harmed many victims and the Church as a whole.

No matter this? I further order the Cardinal electors, graviter onerata ipsorum conscientia, to maintain secrecy concerning these matters also after the election of the new Pope has taken place, and I remind them that it is not licit to break the secret in any way unless a special and explicit permission has been granted by the Pope himself. Marisa- I was wondering about that because I thought that was the case. How and why has this been revealed, unless maybe the Pope did grant permission?

I hope so, as otherwise it would be yet another example of dishonesty and lack of integrity. I'm going to believe he did unless I hear otherwise. Lisa, if the Pope did grant permission, this should have been clarified by the author and I am very astonished that this problem has not been undelined by a Jesuit Review.

Please do a search for Archbishop Timothy P. Read the positions in which he has served including currently for the past years as the Archbishop for the Military Services, which covers the globe. You will see how he very well might have received a vote in the last papal conclave. One need not be a cardinal to be elected Pope Church History After being fortunate enough to hear him speak had me alert and on the edge of my seat, not wanting to miss a word and interact with people on a number of occasions, I could see him being nominated by those who know him - a very worthy and competent candidate.

The success of this article is to confirm me in the resolution that I will not make any effort to read the book even if I find a copy for 50 cents in a reminder bin.

If the people of God at large cannot choose the successor of Peter for their day, then at least the choosing group should be the bishops, all the bishops, alive at the time whatever their age. The technology is all widely available. Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more. Exclusive: Inside the election of Pope Francis. Show Comments 9. Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more. Bill C I agree that Pope Francis has been an inspiring leader, though there is still much to do regarding the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.

He is an absolute gift to the Catholic Church, and to the world. Lisa M. Marisa Levi. Most popular. Are racial justice movements straying from Catholic tradition — or are Catholic leaders out of touch? Listen to Archbishop Gomez: Social justice begins with recognizing our common humanity. School President. Hidden Mercy. Home Health , Spiritual Resources. There, he was greeted by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a welcome ceremony and later circulated in downtown Rio in order to be "close to the people.

More than three million people attended the pontiff's closing mass at the event. On his way back to Rome, Pope Francis surprised reporters traveling with him regarding his seemingly open stance on gay Catholics. According to The New York Times , he told the press: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? In September , Pope Francis called for others to join him in praying for peace in Syria.

The pontiff held a special vigil in St. Peter's Square on September 7, which was attended by an estimated , people. According to the Catholic News Service, Francis told the crowd that "When man thinks only of himself The pope implored those involved in the conflict to find a peaceful solution. He explained that religious dialogue must be broader in scope, not simply focused on such issues as homosexuality and abortion.

It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow. While he does not believe women should be ordained as priests, Francis considers women an essential part of the church.

He also continued to present a more accepting attitude toward homosexuality than previous pontiffs, saying that "God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person," according to The Guardian. In early December , Pope Francis gave an "apostolic exhortation," an address calling for big changes in the Catholic Church, including rethinking long-held but antiquated customs.

In the article, it was revealed that the deciding factor that led to Pope Francis landing at the top of the list, was his ability to alter the minds of so many people who had given up on the Catholic church in such a short period of time.

He did not receive this honor, but he continued to devote his time to reach out to Catholics around the world. During that summer, Pope Francis went on his first visit to Asia.

He spent five days in South Korea in August. On his return trip from South Korea, Pope Francis discussed his own mortality with the press.

He also suffered a personal loss around that same time after several members of his family were killed in a car accident in Argentina. That fall, Pope Francis showed himself to be progressive on several scientific issues.

He told the members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that he supported the Big Bang theory and evolution. According to The Independent newspaper, Pope Francis said that "The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.

Throughout late and into , Pope Francis continued his pattern of deep engagement with both political and environmental conflicts around the world. He spoke out against global abuses and the misuse of political and economic power, lamenting the disappearances and suspected murders of 43 students in Mexico; the dangers and losses of life caused by immigration; financial mismanagement within the church itself; and sexual abuse.

His decision to crack down on church corruption and excommunicate members of the Mafia were hailed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, though they also caused him to receive death threats.

The Pope tackled other political blockades too, bringing together Presidents Raul Castro , of Cuba, and President Barack Obama , of the United States, in a historic meeting that precipitated significant foreign policy changes. Finally, his ambitious schedule of travel continued, with visits to Paraguay, Bolivia, and Ecuador, as have beatifications. I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal.

I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope. He added: "The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father. For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.

On November 21, , as the Jubilee Year of Mercy ended, the Vatican announced that the Pope had extended the dispensation to all priests to absolve "the grave sin" of abortion. The policy was documented in an apostolic letter written by the Pope, which stated: ".

I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion.

The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended, notwithstanding anything to the contrary. A John Jay report found that thousands of minors were sexually abused by Catholic clergy between and More shocking is the fact that some high-ranking officials knew of the abuse but did not remedy the situation, either by stripping the abusers of their priesthood or by turning them over to the proper civil authorities.

When Francis took office, many people looked to him to correct the Church's handling of sex abuse. In a interview , before he was Pope, he made it clear that Church leadership should "never turn a blind eye" to sex abuse, even when coming forward with such information risks "damaging the image of an institution.

In December , Francis announced the creation of a Vatican committee aimed at fighting sex abuse in the Church, and working with victims and their families. Of the members , four are women, and one — Marie Collins — is an abuse survivor. The group also includes Cardinal Sean O'Malley, archbishop of Boston, the city in which the US sex abuse crisis story originally broke in In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Francis spoke about the issue of sex abuse, and praised the former Pope Benedict for being "courageous" in his attempts to curb it.

In the same interview, Francis said that although statistics show that the majority of abuse happens outside the church, "the Church is the only one being attacked. Likewise, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests criticized Francis' remarks, saying they "reflect an archaic, defensive mindset that will not make kids safer.

In an April 11 speech delivered to the International Catholic Child Bureau , Francis asked for forgiveness on behalf of priests who abused children. The Pope's unscripted comments were hailed as his " strongest statement yet " on the sex abuse crisis. Francis said the he is aware of the "personal and moral damage Francis told America Magazine in August that he thinks it's "necessary to broaden the opportunities for a stronger presence of women in the church.

When Pope Francis washed the feet of two women during his Maundy Thursday trip to a youth prison in Rome, he set the tone for a papal shift in attitudes toward women.

A letter from the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explicitly said that only " chosen men " were to have their feet washed during this ceremony. This wasn't the first time Francis washed women's feet: in , then-Bergoglio made headlines for washing the feet of a pregnant woman. On the topic of women's ordination to the priesthood, Francis has said the question is "not open to discussion," since it was settled under Pope John Paul II.

Though Francis hasn't changed Church doctrine regarding LGBT issues, he has assumed a more loving, tolerant posture towards gay people than some of his predecessors.

He said in a July interview , "If a person is gay and seeks the Lord and has good will, well who am I to judge them? The Catechism of the Catholic Church While this statement has not yet resulted in any reforms at the doctrinal level, its power should not be overlooked. Prior to his papacy, in Argentina, Bergoglio called gay marriage " a destructive attack on God's plan.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera , Francis affirmed Church teaching on marriage — "Marriage is between a man and a woman," he said — but also acknowledged the reality of the need that exists for secular states to "regulate economic aspects between persons, such as ensuring healthcare. In a speech last year , Francis spoke out against the "cult of money," which he described as a financial "imbalance" resulting from "the absolute autonomy of markets. Such an economy kills.

How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? These and similar comments have earned Francis harsh criticism, most notably from Rush Limbaugh , who accused the Pope of sounding like a Marxist. Francis responded by saying that Marxism is "wrong," but he wasn't offended. He then reiterated his critique of "trickle-down economics. Since his appointment as Pope, Francis has "frequently shown concern for the environment," according to the National Catholic Register.

His choice of "Francis" for his papal name might signify his interests in environmentalism, as St. Francis — the patron saint of animals and ecology — is remembered for preaching to birds and caring for nature. In his inaugural mass , Pope Francis implored Catholics to be protectors of "the beauty of the created world.

On January 24, , Fr. Frederico Lombardi, Director of the Holy See Press Office, announced that Francis "has begun work on a draft text on the topic of ecology, which could become an encyclical. The forthcoming work, said Lombardi, would place particular emphasis on " human ecology " — the interrelationships of humans and their environments.

On May 2, , the Pontifical Academy of Sciences — which is an international scientific academy housed in the Vatican — kicked off a five-day conference titled Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility.

Over 40 academics from various disciplines are expected to attend the conference, the theme of which is to explore the relationship of humanity and nature. Those involved will discuss various ways in which nature both satisfies and fails to satisfy human needs for food, health, and energy. Francis has said his choice to downgrade his papal gear is the result of a "spiritual discernment that responds to a need that arises from looking at things.

Francis has stated his desire to have " a church that is poor, and for the poor. And Francis has taken larger-scale steps toward financial restraint. Although the Catholic Church has often been accused of financial corruption throughout its history, the VatiLeaks scandal that broke in January took the accusations to a new level. Much of that money is managed in the Instituo per le Opere di Religione IOR , commonly called the Vatican Bank, which is known as the most secret bank in the world.

Francis has made some big changes to the IOR. First, he fired the bank's longtime director. Then, he replaced four of the five board members overseeing the bank. But despite speculation that Francis was going to close it down, the Vatican announced in April that the IOR would remain open. Francis later accepted the Bishop's formal resignation on March 26, As Francis has made clear, he considers himself a "son of the Church.

One comment Francis made in an interview for America is important here. He said that although "many think changes and reforms can take place in a short period of time," he cautions that that "real, effective change" takes time. So while he hasn't made any doctrinal changes yet, the shifts in tone he has made may actually be his way of laying the groundwork for later changes.

At the same time, it's important to note that a strict dichotomy between style and substance isn't clear within Catholic theology. It's possible to communicate the substance of the Gospel through subtle gestures and words. Though Francis' gestures — washing women's feet, kissing a disfigured man — are unaccompanied by commentary, there is a theological depth to them shouldn't go unnoticed.

Rush Limbaugh doesn't care for Francis' critique of the global economy, which the Pope called an "economy of exclusion and inequality. Langone told Cardinal Timothy Dolan that Francis needs to "be careful about generalities. There is also a more traditional segment of the Church that is extremely critical of Francis. Charles Caput, Archbishop of Philadelphia, said he was " disappointed " that Francis hasn't spoken much about abortion.

Francis confirmed this and other behind-the-scenes criticism when he said he was " reprimanded " for not talking enough about gay marriage, abortion, and contraception.

Some traditional Catholics are also attached to the the idea of conducting Church services in Latin. They see Francis' less formal style as a threat to the the Latin liturgy — the words and rituals customarily used for public worship services.

Francis isn't opposed to traditional liturgy — it's just not the priority of his papacy. According to a February Pew poll , more than 8 in 10 Catholics have a "favorable view" of Francis.