The Roots of Pope Francis – The People’s Pope

Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was the first North American to be chosen as the Catholic Church’s Pope.

Before being elected the 266th Pope, Pope Francis, a member of the Jesuit Order, was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, making him the first Jesuit to become a Pope in the history of the Catholic Church. In honor of St. Francis of Assisi who was Christ-like in living a simple and humble life dedicated to the poor, Pope Francis chose the name ‘Francis’ as his papal name; he became the first Pope to choose this name.

Pope Francis’s Early Life

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis was the eldest of five children. He was born to parents who were Italian immigrants who fled from the start of fascism in Italy.

As a man who chose a very spiritual and simple life, he shied away from the fancy living quarters that the Church provided – he chose to live in a small apartment and he would take the bus to move around Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis didn’t buy new shoes, rather he would his old ones resoled. The papal ring he wore was gold-plated, not the traditional one made from solid gold. His philosophy was:

“My people are poor and I am one of them.”

The Pontiff’s closeness to his grandmother, Rosa, inspired him to join the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Grandma Rosa, is the one who taught Pope Francis how to pray. She was a very courageous woman who had it in her to stand at the pulpit and speak against Benito Mussolini. Pope Francis’s high regard for his grandmother made him advance the participation of women in the Catholic Church. While sticking to the Church’s doctrine, Pope Francis believed that women have a fundamental role to play in the life of the Church.

The Pope almost veered from the priesthood due to certain circumstances in his life. At 21, Jorge fell very ill – he was eventually diagnosed with severe pneumonia, leading to the partial removal of one of his lungs.

Pope Francis’s Spirituality

Francis carried the Jesuit spirituality into his papacy – his coat of arms reflected the symbols of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order). He had an immense love for learning – he spent numerous years studying and teaching in different countries. He studied psychology, literature, philosophy, theology, and humanities, just to mention a few fields of study. The Pontiff was multilingual – he spoke German, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Latin, English, French, however, he was more comfortable expressing himself in Spanish.

Since he spent most of his life in academia, one could have perceived Francis as a strict intellect, however, that was never the case. The Pope loved dancing the tango, he loved opera, soccer, and the music of Edith Piaf. He was also a humorous man; while giving a speech at the last dinner with the Cardinals after his election, he said to them, “I hope God forgives you!”

Pope Francis was a man of prayer and devotion who had the homeless and poor at the center of his heart. After his appointment as Cardinal, he asked other Cardinals not to travel to Rome to celebrate his appointment, instead he asked them to donate to the needy the money that they would have used to fund their trips.

The Pontiff was very devoted to his people, he was a shepherd who took care of his flock with diligence. When he was on his papal visits, he would leave the security of his Popemobile and walk into the crowd to embrace those who had gathered to receive his blessings.

According to his predecessor, the late Pope Benedict XVI, he related to the media that after witnessing the charisma of Pope Francis he gained a greater understanding into the mysticism of his resignation; Pope Benedict had become the first Pope in 600 years to retire from the papacy. Pope Benedict saw his retirement as the “will of God”.

Apart from Pope Francis being known as the “People’s Pope” for his dedication to the poor and homeless, including the elderly, the Pontiff was a strong advocate for the participation of women within the Church. In his February 9 2017 homily at the Casa Santa Marta, he said, “Without women, there is no harmony in the world”.

At this point in time, the Catholic Church is still sticking to its doctrine of not ordaining women to the priesthood, however, Pope Francis gave them a leadership seat at the Church’s decision making table. He made history by appointing women to two positions previously held by men only at the Vatican.

Sister Nathalie Becquart of French descendant was appointed by Pope Francis as co-undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops. Her position gives her the right to vote in the Synod. Catia Summaria, who is an Italian magistrate became the first woman to be appointed as prosecutor in the Vatican’s Court of Appeals.

The Pope also amended the Church doctrine, explicitly allowing women to serve at the altar at Mass. Women can now serve as Word Proclaimers, as communion givers, and girls as altar. Francis also established commissions whose responsibility is to look into the Church’s history of women deacons in the early centuries.

As a lay woman who’s in a leadership position at the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC), the highest decision making body in Southern Africa, I would like to thank Rosa Margherita Vasallo (Nonna Rosa), Pope Francis’s valiant and faith-filled grandmother. Through her love, teachings, and her spirituality, Nonna Rosa molded Pope Francis into the man he was; the Pope’s admiration for his grandmother, inspired him to have a high regard for women and to have a great love for the elderly, who society often forgets in their old age.

In one of the many books that he authored, Pope Francis wrote that in his breviary he had a two-volume prayer book that he took everywhere he went. In that prayer book there was a small note from his grandmother, which read as follows:

“May my grandchildren, to whom I have given the best of my heart, have a long and happy life. But if there are days of pain or illness, or if the loss of a loved one fills them with despair, may they remember that a whisper of a prayer and a look to Mary at the feet of the cross, can be like a drop of balsam on even the deepest and most painful wounds.”

Pope Francis was a man of great integrity, who shunned ecclesiastical privileges and only who had wishes of build an inclusive church. We were indeed blessed to have such a spiritual leader at the helm of the Catholic Church.

Rest in peace Your Holiness, Pope Francis I