Congratulatio Papa Francisci! White smoke in dark times

White smoke from the chimney at the Sistine chapel in Rome about three hours ago signified to the world's one billion plus Catholics that we have a new Pope. I'm so glad to see the Conclave decide relatively quickly: this feels definitive and positive; reassuring in the face of the recent divisions within the Church and derision from without. 

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from Argentina, is the 266th Pope: the first Latin American pontiff; the first non-European to be elected in over a thousand years, the first Jesuit Pope, the first Pope Francis.
His initial address to the euphoric crowds was confident but humble: it also felt very personal and indicative of the man. He not only gave the traditional blessing but asked the people to pray with him and for him and for Benedict, the Pope Emeritus. I found this very touching. He likened his election to being "fetched" from the very edge of the world. Around forty two percent of the planet's Catholics are from Latin America, although Catholics have notably been leaving the faith in that region in recent years. It seems significant that our new Pope hails from the developing world. 

As a Jesuit, the former Cardinal Bergoglia will be used to looking after himself and living a no-frills existence. He's a Vatican diplomat but is not a university professor type. Regarded as an exceptionally spiritual man, he rides the bus in Buenos Aires from his simple apartment where he cooks and fends for himself, eschewing the more luxurious accommodation and private limousine afforded to cardinals. Of course, this simple life will necessarily change now: hopefully the man will not.

Known to many in Buenos Aires as "Father Jorge" as he visits the poor, he's created new parishes and restructured administration; no mean feat itself in bureaucracy riddled Argentina. A man of quiet but firm voice, he's been outspoken on many issues, including same sex marriage. In 2010, when Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalise marriage between same sex couples, Father Jorge actively encouraged the clergy and the people alike to continue to protest. 
At seventy six years of age, he is perhaps an older new Pope than many of us expected. He was actually the runner-up of the last Conclave in 2005, with the second highest number of votes in all four ballots at that time. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998: his role there has often involved speaking publicly about economic and social distress. Although not overtly political, he hasn't hidden the social and political impact of the Gospel in a large country rocked by economic crisis and with a history of social injustice. He studied Liberal Arts in Chile and has a degree in philosophy and a master's in chemistry. In 1973 he was elected Superior of the Jesuit Province of Argentina.
The Jesuits are traditionally "God's Marines": an evangelical, apostolic ministry which today spans more than a hundred countries across six continents. Spanish-born missionary St Francis Xavier was one of seven men along with founder St Ignatius Loyola who pioneered the Jesuit way. In 1534, they professed their vows of poverty and chastity and a special vow of devotion to the Pope. The new pontiff's break with tradition in choosing to become the first Pope Francis may reflect this Jesuit background. Alternatively, he may have chosen the name in honour of St Francis De Sales, the mystic and educator; or of course St Francis of Assisi,  the gentle patron of animals and the environment. What has become clear is that this Pope is a grounded man of humility and a pastor at heart: truly what the Catholic Church has called for at this time.

"Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred let me sow love; 

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy."

(St Francis of Assisi)

Papa renuntiante! The Pope's resignation

"We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God."

(Pope Benedict XVI)

When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope in 2005 , he was already seventy eight years of age. Ordained at twenty four, he's now devoted more than sixty years of his life to the disciplines of Holy Orders, the service of the Catholic Church and his fellow men. As Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th Pope has held the helm of the Catholic Church through some very murky waters and challenging navigations over the past eight years. 

It's fair to say that he has been a maintainer and caretaker rather than a reformer. Something of a thinking man's Pope, he's an academic and prolific writer. Although he could be described as a conservative theologian (with a small "c"), the Pontiff has initiated many ecumenical dialogues and openly defended the right to freedom of religion. By the end of 2012, he became the first Pope to engage with Twitter! Another first yesterday: it was announced that he would resign the papacy on 28th February this year. He will be the first Pope to resign voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294: Gregory XII was forced to resign in the fifteenth century.

"I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. 

However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to steer the boat of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me." 

(Pope Benedict XVI, 11th February 2013)

Cardinal Ratzinger had hoped to retire to write after he turned seventy five, the retirement age for bishops. He'd previously submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II three times but had been refused. In 1991, Cardinal Ratzinger had suffered a hemorrhage and stroke: his eyesight was temporarily affected but he made a full recovery. Never really made public,  this was known by the Vatican Conclave who elected him as Pope. Since his election in 2005, various rumours have circulated about his health: it's known that he suffers from an age-related heart condition and has been prescribed medication for this. He is the oldest person to have been elected Pope since the early eighteenth century, having also been the longest serving cardinal since his namesake Benedict XIII.
Whatever personal issues I may have about developments or perceived responses to them on Pope Benedict's watch, I do feel he's displayed eloquence and fervour whilst conducting himself with an amiable dignity. He's also been uncommonly vocal in expressing the importance of love in our lives, for each other as well as for God. My initial reaction to his resignation was one of shock and then concern that only a serious health worry would cause the Pope to resign before Easter, only days from the beginning of Lent. I pray this isn't the reason and that he simply wants to rest as much as any dedicated gentleman in his eighties deserves to. Certainly the Vatican statement emphasises that the timing of the resignation was intended to avoid the rush of Easter arrangements.

Catholics expect so much from our men of the cloth. I would never dispute that they are indeed devoted and exceptional men, but they are essentially flesh and blood; mortal. The sacred cloth will, I hope, always be renewed, re-embroidered or invisibly mended: hearts, bodies and minds, not so easily. Yet it's become generally accepted and even expected that our Popes will stay in office until they die. In retirement, Pope Benedict will remain a man of God and of conscience; visible, accountable and approachable.
After some adaptations, he'll reside at the monastery "Mater Ecclesiae" in the Vatican Gardens. He'll once again revert to being Cardinal Ratzinger, although his official clerical title may be "Bishop Emeritus of Rome". Shortly after his election to the papacy, he admitted: "At a certain point, I prayed to God 'please don't do this to me'. Evidently, this time He didn't listen to me." Yesterday's resignation sets a somewhat brave precedent; this time, we all listened.
The Catholic Church assures us that the one billion strong global congregation will know the name of their new Pontiff by Easter. I feel it could be immensely healing if the next Pope hailed from Africa; the church has been vociferously accused of ignoring the continuing AIDS epidemic on that continent by refusing to advocate contraception there. I also feel the retiring Pope could be uniquely placed to offer guidance and support to any successor: surely this could only engender continuity and reassurance within and beyond the Vatican for the future?
Amid the shock and apprehension, there's a sense of general sadness among Catholics. As U.S. Archbishop Timothy Dolan admitted: "It's like watching your own Dad get old and admit he's not up to all the duties that being the head of a family involves." But how cool that, aside from tendering less than a month's notice, the Pope also gets to resign in ecclesiastical Latin?  I wish him a peaceful retirement, finally; and I hope he gets to keep the red shoes.

"Love is the only force capable of changing the heart of the human person and of all humanity, by making fruitful the relations between men and women, between rich and poor, between cultures and civilizations." 

(Pope Benedict XVI)