‘A shepherd should smell like his sheep.’
The sun had set over Vatican City on March 13 as the white smoke barreled out of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, announcing the election of a new pope. The smoke eventually stopped, but the rain did not, and those crowded into St. Peter’s Square seemed unfazed. The anticipation could be felt: people danced, sang, waited.
Minutes later, clad in a simple, ivory-colored robe, the man once known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, emerged to greet the crowd—and the 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide—as the new pope. For a moment he stood motionless, save the occasional wave to the 150,000 who came to meet him.
When the crowd quieted, Pope Francis, the Jesuit from Argentina, said, “Brothers and sisters, good evening. You all know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother cardinals have gone almost to the ends of the earth to get him. But here we are.” Then, in an unprecedented move, the pope asked the crowd to pray for him. When that moment of silence ended, he invited Catholics on a journey with him—one of love, of prayer, and of brotherhood. The flock had a new shepherd.
Enjoy these resources on the 266th Bishop of Rome, Franciscus…
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Pope Francis: A Pastor with the Smell of His Sheep
The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergolio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, made him a man of multiple firsts: a pope from South America, ordained a priest after the end of Vatican II, a Jesuit, and someone who had never studied in Rome or worked there full-time. Having once worked as a chemical technician and a bouncer, he also loved to dance the tango. Read more…
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How Pope Francis Drew Inspiration from His Namesake
“Don’t forget the poor!” Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes’ advice to then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio upon the Argentine’s election to the papacy resonated deeply enough to influence his choice of papal name: Francis, for St. Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis was the first pope in the church’s 2,000-year history to choose the name. Read more…
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Pope Francis Leaves Complicated Legacy on Sexual Abuse Crisis
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88, faced the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, attempting to balance defending the church from criticism while showing compassion toward survivors, with often mixed results. Read more…
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US Friars Extend Global Condolences for Pope Francis
With the news spreading across the world regarding Pope Francis’ passing, the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe react with words of comfort and peace, recognizing Pope Francis’ impact and legacy. Read more…
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Pope Francis Dies at 88
(CNS) Pope Francis has died April 21 at the age of 88, U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced. Pope Francis gave new energy to millions of Catholics — and caused concern for some — as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about mission, poverty, immigration and dialogue. Read more…
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Pope Francis On Our Common Home
Since his inaugural Mass, Pope Francis has frequently reminded a global audience that care for creation is among his highest priorities. In June 2015, he released his long-awaited encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si’” (“Praise Be to You”), addressing it to “every person living on this planet.” Named after a canticle by St. Francis of Assisi, the encyclical pairs religious insights with scientific facts to spotlight the gravity of the environmental crisis. Read more…
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Pope Francis So Far
From the St. Anthony Messenger archives: In the first decade of his papacy, Francis has been both celebrated and vilified depending on the person talking. But he remains on task for reforming the Catholic Church. Read more…
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Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary
O Mary
you always shine on our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm.
Read more…
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Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship
The pope’s model, Francis of Assisi, created an inclusive movement to renew the Christian faithful. Pope Francis clearly seeks to channel that charismatic inspiration anew in our time. Let’s give the new encyclical our careful attention and join in the conversations it will provoke so as to harvest its critically important teaching. Read more…
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St. Francis and Pope Francis: Our Environmental Teachers
In the opening lines of his new encyclical, Pope Francis says it all: “Praise be to you, my Lord. In the words of this beautiful canticle, St. Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. ‘Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.” Read more…
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A Prayer for Pope Francis
Pope Francis has a difficult job to do at this point in history when the Church is so divided. We have a responsibility to pray for him as a spiritual leader and decision-maker, so that he may continue guiding the universal Catholic Church with wisdom and compassion. Read more…
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Pope Francis, Saint Francis: Models of Peace
When Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2019 to sign a declaration of peace with Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar, the meeting was called “historic,” “landmark,” and “a clarion call for robust dialogue.” And it was—no pontiff in Church history had ever visited the Arabian Peninsula. But such a bold measure of goodwill toward our Muslim brothers and sisters isn’t revolutionary: The pope merely followed an 800-year-old path cleared by his namesake, Francis of Assisi. Read more…
The Pope and the Preacher: Francis and Dr. King
When Pope Francis arrived at Joint Base Andrews on September 22, 2015, the families of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden led his greeting party. The Obama family’s presence in the party demonstrated how much the United States had changed since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a voting-rights march from Selma to Montgomery 50 years earlier. Read more…
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Choose Love: A Message from Pope Francis
Pope Francis said: “The heart of the human being aspires to great things, lofty values, deep friendships, ties that are strengthened rather than broken by the trials of life. The human being aspires to love and to be loved. This is our deepest aspiration: to love and be loved; and definitively.” Read more..
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Notes from a Friar: Pope Francis Said What?
You may recall Pope Francis’ statement a couple of years ago concerning God’s love. First, the pope said: “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! Even the atheists. Everyone!” Read more…
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The Pope’s Greatest Quotes
Pope Francis is a breath of fresh air. This is a man who, as we’ve seen, takes the time to visit the sick, bless children, embrace the imprisoned. He chooses to live in in an apartment rather than the papal rooms, and promotes the spirit of his namesake, St. Francis. Yes, Pope Francis has much to teach us about faith, hope, and charity. Enjoy these quotes from our pope. Read more…
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Pope Francis and the ‘Joy of Love’
Of all the papal teachings since the conclusion of Vatican II, “The Joy of Love” (“Amoris Laetitia”) apostolic exhortation, signed on March 16, 2016, may be the most controversial in part because it refers to conscience 10 times, and also recommends careful accompaniment and discernment by pastoral workers for couples in marriages not officially recognized by the Catholic Church. That’s not what people are used to hearing from recent popes. Read more…
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‘Who Am I to Judge?’
We are all masters, we are all experts, when it comes to justifying ourselves. We all have an alibi to justify our shortcomings, our sins. We so often respond with an ‘I don’t know!’ face, or with an ‘I didn’t do it, it must have been someone else!’ face. We are always ready to play innocent. Before and after confession, in your life, in your prayer, are you able to blame yourself? Or is it easier to blame others? Read more…
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