Pope Francis I.....

Who is Pope Francis I?   Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the new Roman Catholic Pope, is the first man in modern era from outside Europe to be the next Pope.  He is the first Pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Order, founded in the 16th century by St. Ignatius Loyola.  Its members, known as Jesuits, take a vow of poverty and are known for their work among the poor and their scholarship.  The Jesuit order is known to be defenders of social justice and progressive activism.  The Jesuits in Latin America were great proponents of liberation theology.  As Archbishop, Bergoglio, a high school chemistry teacher, had the option to live in a palace in Argentina and access to a chauffeur driven limousine, but instead he chose to live in an simple apartment, use the local bus to go to work and cooked his own meals.

The unique characteristics of the Ignatian Spirituality as revealed in Ignatius's writings and the testimony of those who knew him, especially the first members of the Society of Jesus.  Some of the significant aspects/perspectives include: 1) a highly positive view of God's action in the world; 2) an apostolic perspective essentially oriented toward life in the world "for the greater glory of God;" 3) a dialectic of prayer and action, with prayer directed toward finding God in all things, and action for the kingdom as a legitimate and valuable counterpoint to prayer; 4) a wholistic notion of prayer employing a spectrum of human facilities, including thinking, imagining, sensing, feeling, and breathing; 5) discernment of spirits as a concrete means to judge one's choices against the norm of God's will in the here and now.

In the first act of his papacy, he chose the name Francis, becoming the namesake of St. Francis of Assisi, who gave up his riches and choose a life of poverty and prayer.  St Francis of Assisi, was a Roman Catholic deacon, founder of three Franciscan orders, spiritual leader, miracle worker, author of the famous peace prayer.  Coming from a wealthy family, Francis experienced a radical conversion in 1205 to a life of poverty and service modeled after Jesus who became the Christ.  He is remembered not only for his exemplary ascetic lifestyle, but also for his spirituality, the many miracles he performed in response to all sorts of human requests, a ministry to both the privileged rich and the needy masses.  Francis and his associates converted numerous persons of wealth and stature and encouraged others to make charitable gifts, thereby providing a spiritual force against the emerging social trends of secularism and acquisitiveness.