In Francis' First Hours (II)

聖依納爵 St. Ignatius Loyola / 耶穌會Society of Jesus

Jesuits ：耶穌會士。詳見 Society of Jesus 。

Society of Jesus ：耶穌會：由聖納爵．羅耀拉 St. Ignatius de Loyola 于 1540 年所創立，從事教育文化、外方傳教、大眾傳播、社會 … 等工作。俗稱 Jesuits 。

'Father Jorge' Rose From Modest Roots 豪爾赫神父 今日羅馬教皇...


Jesuits Had Past Struggles With Popes

In Francis' First Hours, Humility and Pressing Matters 

 

By JOHN D. STOLL And STACY MEICHTRY

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Pope Francis laying a wreath prior to a prayer at Rome's Santa Maria Major basilica early on his first full day as the head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

VATICAN CITY—In his opening hours as Pope Francis, the Argentine known as "Father Jorge" broke with tradition by taking a bus and retrieving his own bags from a hotel, but also cast himself a diligent servant who is ready to rebuild a church clouded by scandal and struggling to regain ground in Europe and North America.
Delivering the homily of his first Mass as the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, Pope Francis played on three themes—walk, build and confess—and ended his remarks with a call to reconstruction.
"When we don't build on rock, you know what happens—the same thing that happens when children build sandcastles on the beach. It all comes down," he said in a sermon broadcast over giant screens in St. Peter's Square. "After these days of grace, I hope we will have the courage to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the cross of the Lord, and build his church."

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L'Osservatore Romano / Getty Images

Pope Francis celebrates his first Mass as pope on Thursday in the Sistine Chapel with cardinals. His inauguration Mass is on Tuesday.

In seeking firmer ground for the global church, however, the new pope must navigate the murky waters of the Roman Curia. The Vatican's administrative body has become a court of intrigues in recent years as factions of Holy See prelates battled over control of the Vatican's bank, and a leaks scandal revealed wasteful spending inside the world's smallest state. On Thursday evening, the Vatican was due to unseal the papal apartments, giving Pope Francis access to a massive file documenting the leaks scandal.
"Before addressing the scandals that hit the Vatican, he first needs to learn what happened," said Francesco Cesareo, a church historian and president of Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
The first steps of the papacy came late Wednesday, after applause broke out among the 114 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel for a fifth round of voting. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had just received the votes needed to garner a two-thirds majority. Cardinal Bergoglio then accepted the assignment as 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.
His initial steps as pope appeared to confirm his reputation as a humble pastor.

Fordham University Theology Chairman Dr. Terrence Tilley discusses the election of Pope Francis and the challenges he will face. Pope Francis is the first Pope to come from the Americas. Photo: Getty Images.

More

• Bid to Remake Church Will Focus on Vatican Administration
• 'Father Jorge' Rose From Modest Roots
• New Leader Elicits Pride Back Home
• Jesuits Had Past Struggles With Popes
• U.S. Catholics Express High Hopes for New Pope
• Photos: The New Pope
• Video: Papal Conclave
• Live: The Next Pope Stream

Bergoglio: A Man for the Church

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The Changing Church

The population of Catholics around the world has grown dramatically and shifted southward, while the cardinals who elect the pope remain mostly European.

• Photos: An Argentine Pope
• Graphic: The Name of the (Holy) Father
• Maps: Catholicism in the World

Pope Francis on the Job

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Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

The newly elected Pope Francis and his supporters were out and about in Vatican City on Thursday.

Cardinals traditionally pay homage to the new pope in the Sistine Chapel by promising obedience and kissing his hand. Rather than sitting, as is customary, Pope Francis stood. As others stood waiting to greet the Catholic Church's new leader, the pope—knowing that crowds were waiting outside in the rain in St. Peter's Square to catch their first glimpse of a new pontiff—suggested saving those formalities.
"Is it OK if I see you afterwards?" he asked, according to Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. "Maybe we should go to the balcony first because I don't want to keep the people waiting."
He then walked out on St. Peter's central balcony to the roars of the crowds far below.
Later in the evening, cardinals were driven away from the basilica in a collection of small buses. Pope Francis also took the bus, eschewing the traditional papal car service, according to Cardinal Dolan. They all had dinner, and, in the prelude of a toast, the new pontiff joked with his brethren, saying: "May God forgive you for what you've done," according to the U.S. cardinal.
On a more serious note, Pope Francis acknowledged the fact that the conclave voting period had been stressful, even though the official voting period lasted just over 24 hours. Many cardinals have been in Rome since February, before Pope Benedict XVI officially retired at the end of the month. "I'm going to sleep well and something tells me you will too," the new pope told the cardinals.
Although there was speculation Pope Francis would meet in person Thursday with his predecessor, known now as pope emeritus, the two have talked only by phone thus far.
At 8 a.m. Thursday, Pope Francis, a Jesuit, prayed at St. Mary Major altar, where St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass. Pope Francis left a bouquet of flowers at the altar. He was driven to the site in a basic car, rather than commandeering his official motorcade, according to Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi.
On the way back, he went to the priest residence where he stayed in recent weeks, the Domus Internationalis, to collect his luggage and pay his bill. He did it to set a good example, said Father Lombardi.
—Giada Zampano
contributed to this article. Write to John D. Stoll at john.stoll@wsj.com and Stacy Meichtry at stacy.meichtry@wsj.com