294. ACKNOWLEDGING PAPA FRANCESCO by un'Americana a Venezia

Il cardinale Bergoglio è la nuova guida della Cristianità Cattolica. Ci sono molti elementi nuovi. Proviene dai Gesuiti, si chiama Francesco, ha uno stile che si ispira alla sobrietà e all'autenticità dello spirito evangelico. Preghiera e testimonianza sono gli strumenti per riportare nel mondo la speranza, così ha più volte dichiarato in passato.  RR

This blog is all about art, spirituality, and religion.  Hence, it is someone's absolute duty here to acknowledge, before any more time passes, the newly elected Bishop of Rome as well as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.  He is an Italo-Argentinian known in Buenos Aires for his simple lifestyle.  He's come all the way from "the end of the world," as he said in Italian from the famous balcony of his new home, the Vatican, on the evening of March 13th, 2013.  He stood there quiet and fairly motionless for several moments, probably amazed by the size of the crowd that had been waiting to meet and greet him for over an hour.  He was dressed head to foot in the white papal garb that had just been prepared for him, no doubt, but around his neck was a sober-looking cross that he has probably been wearing for years.  It was not made of gold, nor of shiny silver.  Some reporters called it "iron" the next day, but to me it looked more like pewter.  I got the impression that that cross had been a gift some time long ago and that it was part of him by now.  Perhaps his small apartment somewhere in downtown Buenos Aires is being emptied now.  He never lived in the palace reserved for him there.  Soon someone else will use the little kitchen where he was known to prepare his own meals.  His neighbors probably feel thrilled for him, and also sad that he won't be a familiar face on their streets anymore.  They'll still see him in the papers and on TV though.  Maybe the commuters who used to ride the public buses with him will miss him, too.  The people in the poorest neighborhoods where he was known to visit must be hoping already that he will come back to them someday as Papa Francisco.  Pope Francis, as the North Americans are calling him already, is the first pope ever to come from the Americas, and the first to be called Francesco, possibly after the patron saint of Italy, Francesco d'Assisi, and/or after Francisco Xavier, one of the founders, along with Ignatius of Loyola, of the Society of Jesus in 1534.  Which brings us to yet another unprecedented characteristic of Papa Francesco:  He is the first Jesuit ever to be elected to the papacy.  Jesuits are generally known for being global evangelizers as well as educators.  The priests in the film "The Mission" starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons were Jesuits, for example.  Jesuits have faced dangerous and difficult moments throughout their history, offering their lives up in sacrifice for their cause.  The other evening, when I told an Italian friend about the new pope's Jesuit background, he said, "Sarà tosto!"  He'll be tough!  In my experience with the Italian language, I've noticed that tosto can also mean resistant, brave, and blunt.  I am sincerely hoping that Papa Francesco will be all of those things, even at the age of 76 and with only one lung.  There is a lot of work to do.  There are a lot of hearts to win over to Jesus, inside and outside of the Church.  Papa Francesco made a very strong start when he finally began speaking and, before we knew it, he was leading the global village in prayers!  Not only two or more gathered in the Lord's name, but literally millions of people all over Italy and throughout the world, saying the Lord's Prayer together to start!  Does it get any more tosto than that, especially in this day and age?  May Papa Francesco enjoy many years of Gospel-inspired leadership as he begins his ministry as the pastor of the largest Christian flock in the world.  Let us all do as he asked, regardless of our faith or creed.  Let us pray.  UN'AMERICANA A VENEZIA