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| English: Cardinal Jorge M. Bergoglio SJ, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, celebrating mass at the XX Exposición del Libro Católico (20th Catholic Book Fair), in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Español: Cardenal Jorge M. Bergoglio SJ, Arzobispo de Buenos Aires, celebrando misa en la XX Exposición del Libro Católico, en Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Today's Big News
So there's a new pope out there! Today the world was introduced to Pope Francis I, who is actually well known in Argentina as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. His major claims to fame revolve around strong pro-family stances against gay marriage and abortion despite political pressure from the Argentine government to cave in to modernity. As a bonus, he is a Jesuit and therefore trained in the defense of the gospel by use of Apologetics.My Part in All This
I issued out a simple tweet (also promoted to Facebook), which I had no idea what the reception thereof would be, yet I was extremely curious what it would be like. Would it become popular? Would I be met with resistance? Would I be ignored? I felt that the latter was most likely, but I decided to go through with my heartfelt post despite potential repercussions.Anyone else praying that the new Pope responds fearlessly to the leading of the Holy Spirit as he assumes his papal duties?
— Christopher Jimenez (@cjmnz8) March 13, 2013
What's the Big Deal?
I suppose the big deal is that I am in the minority when it comes to my view of Roman Catholicism and it's relationship with Christianity. (In short, my analysis is that RC is a Christian denomination due to their affirmation of the gospel of Christ.) I have plenty of friends whom I respect and consider true brothers and sisters in Christ that adhere to Roman Catholic denominations.I had an experience this evening with one of those Chick Tract toting individuals who believe the Pope will somehow unite all the diverse religions in the world and elevate himself as the one to be worshiped. He even pointed to cosmology and weather storms as proof that the Pope is evil incarnate.
In the End
I am not writing this article to promote one view of the end times over another. Perhaps an evil Pope will rise and undermine the traditional teachings of the church and compromise it's integrity in order to follow the Antichrist. There are many views regarding eschatology, I hold none of them as a litmus test for one's devotion to Christ.In the end, the important thing to remember is that the Pope is the elected official to lead the world's largest denomination in conjunction with an assembly of Cardinals. He is a man who has devoted his life to Christ. As such, all Christians should pray that he leans on the Holy Spirit within him as his guide. Like it or not, he is a leader of Christianity. At the very (very) least, he is viewed by the world as a leader of the Christian world. As such, we should pray that he sets a good example.
Given the initial reports of his family values, strength in the face of political oppression and passion for social justice, I have hope that this man may become a great example of Christianity. May he live up to the words of the man whose name he bears:
Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.
-- St. Francis of Assisi
