Pope Francis Eschews Trappings of Papacy on First Day in Office
THE GUARDIAN: Former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio ditches Mercedes, ermine and gold cross for simpler style as he begins papacy

It wasn't quite a bus – his days of taking public transport may finally be over – but it certainly wasn't the vehicle of pontiffs, either. The car in which Pope Francis travelled on his first day as head of the Roman Catholic church was a standard-issue, black saloon.

Not for him the Mercedes with the papal number plate SCV1. That – along with the ermine-trimmed mozzetta and the gold pectoral cross – had been left behind. The new pope, said a Vatican spokesman, seemed to have brought "a new style of doing things".

First on the papal agenda on Thursday was a "spontaneous" visit – alluded to on Wednesday night by the just-elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio – to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in central Rome. The church, home to an altar where the Jesuit founder Saint Ignatius of Loyola celebrated his first mass in 1538, had played host to Francis when he was a mere cardinal and archbishop.

Now, he was returning as the world's first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff. Not that there was much difference in the way he behaved, according to one priest, Father Ludovico Melo. "It was a meeting with a father," he said, "and not with a pope." » | Lizzy Davies in Vatican City | Thursday, March 14, 2013

New Pope Urges Church to Return to Its Gospel Roots

REUTERS.COM: In his first public Mass, Pope Francis urged the Catholic Church on Thursday to stick to its Gospel roots and shun modern temptations, warning that it would become just another charitable group if it forgot its true mission.

In a heartfelt, simple homily, the Argentinian pope laid out a clear moral path for the 1.2-billion-member Church, which is beset by scandals, intrigue and strife.

Addressing cardinals in the frescoed Sistine Chapel the day after his election there, Jorge Bergoglio said the Church should be more focused on the Gospels of Jesus Christ.

"We can walk all we want, we can build many things, but if we don't proclaim Jesus Christ, something is wrong. We would become a compassionate NGO and not a Church which is the bride of Christ," he said, speaking in Italian without notes.

The first non-European pope in 1,300 years, Bergoglio's initial steps suggested he would bring a new style to the papacy, favoring humility and simplicity over pomp, grandeur and ambition among its top officials.

Whereas his predecessor, Pope Benedict, delivered his first homily in Latin, laying out his broad vision for the Church, Francis adopted the tone of parish priest, focusing on faith.

"When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we proclaim Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly," he told the massed ranks of cardinals clad in golden vestments.

"We may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, all of this, but we are not disciples of the Lord," he added. » | Crispian Balmer and Philip Pullella | VATICAN CITY | Additional reporting by Catherine Hornby, Antonio Denti, Naomi O'Leary, Tom Heneghan, Philip Pullella and Keith Weir; writing by Barry Moody; editing by Alastair Macdonald and Giles Elgood | Thursday, March 14, 2013

Pope Francis, Humble, Authentic and Credible

CNN: (CNN) -- For an institution that moves glacially, instant analysis is as impossible as it is unwise. Yet first impressions are important. Our initial glimpse of the new pope was curiously disconcerting. He stood there impassive and unemotional. He looked stunned, without almost any reaction at all except, perhaps, awe or even fear of the moment.

Suddenly, his eyes seemed to open wide, as if he was really seeing the position for which he had been chosen less than an hour before. And then he spoke, not with the power of physical force or energy but with something stronger: humility.

With the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires as pope, the Roman Catholic Church enters the next chapter of her history. And yet, as often happens in the church, she turns to her past for inspiration and even innovation. So we have the first pope to be elected from the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, who were founded by Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century while Catholicism reeled from Protestant challenges.

Yet this Jesuit takes the name Francis from the humble servant of medieval Assisi who began the Franciscan order 300 years before Ignatius. » | Christopher M. Belitto * | Special to CNN | Thursday, March 14, 2013

* Christopher M. Bellitto, chairman and associate professor of history at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, is the author of "101 Questions and Answers on Popes and the Papacy."

On First Day, New Pope Urges Courage 'To Build the Church with the Blood of Christ'

CNN: Vatican City (CNN) -- Pope Francis on Thursday emphasized church advancement in his first Mass with the cardinals who elected him as pontiff a day earlier.

With solemnity, he delivered a homily about moving the Catholic Church forward to the cardinal electors, who were dressed in light yellow robes. Altar servers burned incense in the Sistine Chapel, the setting for the Mass.

He didn't appear to use a script and kept the sermon short, calling on the cardinals to have courage.

"When we don't walk, we are stuck. When we don't build on the rock, what happens? It's what happens to children when they build a sand castle and it all then falls down," the new pontiff said.

"When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we confess without the cross, we are not disciples of Christ. We are mundane," he said. "We are all but disciples of our Lord.

"I would like for all of us, after these days of grace, that we find courage to walk in the presence of God ... and to build the church with the blood of Christ," he continued. "Only this way will the church move forward." »

Sunni Islam's Al-Azhar Eyes 'Better Relations' With New Pope
HINDUSTAN TIMES: Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, Al-Azhar, said on Thursday that it wants "better relations" with the Vatican under Pope Francis.

"We are hoping for better relations with the Vatican after the election of the new pope," Mahmud Azab, adviser for inter-faith affairs to Al-Azhar imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb said.

"As soon as a new policy emerges, we will resume the dialogue with the Vatican which was suspended in early 2011," Azab said. "We congratulate the Church of St Peter and all Catholics around the world."

In 2006, Pope Benedict sparked fury across the Muslim world when he recounted an anecdote in which the Muslim Prophet Mohammed was described as a warmonger who spread evil teachings by the sword. » | AFP, Cairo | Thursday, March 14, 2013

Pope Francis Makes First Outing As Pontiff

The Pope From Far Away Is An Inspiring Choice
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis I, clearly a a man of humility, compassion and learning, faces challenges that will require vision and willpower

The Catholic Church has a pontiff from the New World: “from far away”, as Pope Francis I told the crowds – and the world – when he appeared last night on the balcony in St Peter’s Square. The choice of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, may have come as a surprise to many, but to anyone who appreciates the shift in Catholic demographics from Europe to the developing world, it looks like a wise decision.

Much about Pope Francis suggests continuity. He is Italian-speaking and a man of advancing years – at 76, he breathes with one lung. Moreover, he is a conservative on moral issues and has publicly defended the Church’s position on euthanasia, abortion, homosexuality and priestly celibacy. Liberals will be disappointed.

Yet in many other ways, this Pope is a bold and thrilling choice. He is the first Jesuit pontiff – from an order that normally eschews ecclesiastical honours. He is said to be a simple and honest man, who often speaks out on behalf of the poor and who chose, when made a cardinal, to live in a modest apartment rather than his luxurious official residence. Indeed, upon his appointment in 2001, he discouraged people from spending money to fly out to Rome to accompany him, urging them to donate the funds to alleviate poverty at home instead. » | Telegraph View | Wednesday, March 13, 2013


Why Pope Francis was chosen as new pontiff: Speaking after cardinals elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new pope, US cardinal Timothy Dolan explained why they chose him and the atmosphere inside the Sistine Chapel. » | Thursday, March 14, 2013

Habemus Papam: Pope Francis I
New Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Aged 76. Home: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Career: Academic. Outlook: Moderate. He Will Be Known As Pope Francis I

The archbishop of Buenos Aires is a Jesuit intellectual who travels by bus and has a practical approach to poverty: when he was appointed a cardinal, Bergoglio persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him but instead to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor. He was a fierce opponent of Argentinas decision to legalise gay marriage in 2010, arguing children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother. He was created a cardinal by John Paul II on 21 February 2001.

He believes in contraception to prevent the spread of disease, is open to dialogue with other faiths, and is not facing questions over any abuse scandals. Nor is he facing questions over the handling of the Vatileaks scandal. He would make reforming the curia a priority. [Source: The Guardian]