Pope Francis

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has become the Holy Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.  It is absolutely awe-inspiring that he has taken the name, Francis.  St. Francis, besides being a popular saint for his love of animals and all of creation, was a man of great humility, prayerfulness and piety.  Even at that time men and women centered their lives on obtaining and having stuff.  St. Francis brought true reform to religious life of the time.

More than ever today our Church needs to counter-cultural in its teaching and proclamation of the Gospel.  While some might scoff at the papacy, we are a Church that has deep roots in the sacred scripture, and in human history.  The Pope really is that 'Holy Father' who is to guide the Church with a shepherds care.

Commentators and news-people always have a difficult time understanding and reporting on the Pope, and the Church itself, because its work involves the spiritual realm.  Yet much of what it needs to do challenges the basics of the world today.  Church teachings challenge the comfortableness of those who are in power and in the political sphere.  The Church as an advocate for the poor and anawim make many people very uncomfortable.

Some folks I am sure thought that Francis would change the Church by Thursday morning, throwing out moral teachings and tradition.  Pope Francis will continue to make the radical good news available to the whole world.  As a Church we pray for and with the Holy Father, and the Body of Christ, the Church.  We ask that God continue to pour out his Spirit on t he Church, so that it will by a sign and symbol of God's presence to the world.