Category Archives: New Pope 2013

The new Pope category is you guess it, about the successor of Benedict XVI., the new Pontifex.

Pope Francesco I. – Jorge Mario Bergoglio

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Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the new Pope

The Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina is the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Francis I. is the first Jesuit in the papal office and also the first non-European.

The Roman Catholic Church experienced a double premiere: for the first time in history there is a Pope who comes from South America. And for the first time a member of the Jesuit order holds the highest ecclesiastical Office. The Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on Wednesday evening in the fifth round of votes. Until now, the 76-year-old had been the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Bergoglio’s name as Pope is Francesco (Francis), he is the first Pope who has chosen this name.

bergoglio

Supposedly second in 2005

Bergoglio is a surprise for most Vatican experts, although he had, according to a “diary” which in 2005 had been smuggled out of the Conclave by one of the Cardinals, received the second most votes after Joseph Ratzinger. His withdrawal paved the way for the later Pope Benedict XVI., the document says.

Like many of his compatriots, the new Pope holds both the Argentine and the Italian citizenship and speaks Spanish and Italian, additionally some German due to a sojourn in Germany, were he wrote his doctoral thesis in 1985. The graduate chemist is regarded a multi-talent – good cook, opera lover, friend of the Greek classic, Shakespeare and Dostoevsky, good swimmer and strong, although he is struggling with lung problems since his childhood.

Bergoglio is considered a modest, down-to-earth and ecologically-minded person. As the “Cardinal of the poor”, he uses mostly public transportation and waived episcopal splendor. He confirmed this impression in his first appearance on the balcony of the St. Peter’s Basilica.

Modest appearance

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St. Malachy’s prophecies – the prophecy of the Popes

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By the prophecies of Irish St. Malachy the next pope will be last, will be known as Peter of Rome and a great Armageddon will happen during his papacy.

saint-malachy
With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the first pontiff to step down in almost 600 years, Malachy’s prophecy has garnered renewed attention — not least because, on Malachy’s list, Benedict was number 111.

The Prophecy of the Popes (Latin: Prophetia Sancte Malachiae Archiepiscopi, de Summis Pontificibus) is a series of 112 short, cryptic phrases in Latin which purport to predict the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few antipopes), beginning with Pope Celestine II. The alleged prophecies were first published by Benedictine monk Arnold de Wyon in 1595. Wyon attributes the prophecies to Saint Malachy, a 12th‑century Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland.

Malachy used a short phrase in Latin to describe each Pope, beginning with Celestine II and “From a castle on the Tiber.” That Pope’s birth name was Guido di Castello.

More recently, he described Pope John Paul I. with the phrase: “From the midst of the moon.” His reign, which began in 1978, began with the moon half full and lasted only one month – or one moon.

He was followed by Pope John Paul II. by the Latin expression “Laboris Solis” – or translated “From the labor of the sun” – an expression meaning a solar eclipse.
As it turned out, John Paul II was the only known pope to be born on the day of a solar eclipse – and he was buried on the day of a solar eclipse.

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Life after Benedict

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 From Secretary to Archbishop

georg-gaenswein
With the departure of Pope Benedict XVI., the question coms up, which turns the career of his private secretary Georg Gänswein will take. The 56-year old southern German could become an important link between the old and the new Pope or take over one of the large German dioceses as Archbishop.

Even during the last hours bevore his retirement, the always loyal Gänswein did not leave the Pope’s side. He will also spend the upcoming weeks in the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo with him, and after that move in the convent of Mater Ecclesiae in the Vatican with the former Pope, which is being renovated for Benedict.

Benedict XVI. had installed Gänswein as the Prefect of the Papal Household only in December and simultaneously appointed him Archbishop. The new Archbishop was assigned the titular see “Urbs Salvia” (Italian: Urbisaglia) in the central Italian region of Marche. Thus, Monsignor Gänswein moved a bit up the stairs in the Church hierarchy, what had been expected in Rome for a long time.

Soon servant of two Popes?

Gänswein could subsequently come in for a double function: He is supposed to work for the old and the to be elected new Pope. Gänswein would “remain Prefect of the Papal Household, and secretary of Benedict,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi announced just recently.

The role of the Prefect of the Papal Household is a key role for the daily routine of the Pope, as he is among other things responsible for the reception of heads of state. Continuity on this field seems to make sense But it holds room for speculation: If he stays as private secretary intimately connected with Benedict and also organizes a part of the everyday life of the new Pope, it is likely to raise questions about whether or not Benedict would be trying to influence the church through Gänswein.

“Bel Giorgio” got onto the track of the leaker

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Speculations about “Latino”-Pope

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Cardinals from Latin America have in different ways expressed their preferences for a “Latino”-Pope. The Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer is considered the Latin American favorite.

According to the Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, the political and geographical background of the candidates will  not tip the scales in the upcoming Papal Election. At the Conclave, these criteria will remain sidelined, said the Archbishop of Lima on Wednesday  in the Peruvian capital. The Cardinals would be guided  in their decision only by the personal attributes of candidates. Since the announced resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, there is also speculations whether Latin Americans or Africans could be his successor.

Even the choice of a non-Cardinal Cipriani considers to be possible: “That would be unusual, but the resignation of the Pope was unusual too. It cannot be ruled out.” When asked whether he himself would be on hand, the Archbishop said: “No. This is too hard and also a special preparation is necessary to do so.” Many persons were better prepared than he is. Cipriani is the only representative of the Peruvian Church in the forthcoming Conclave.

However, if Venezuelan Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino had to decide, then the successor of Benedict XVI. would come from Central or South America. “Hopefully this time we can bring this joy to Latin America, but we leave it to God, who will lead the hearts and minds of the Cardinals to decide,” the 70-year-old archbishop of Caracas, saidon Wednesday in his episcopal city.

The Mexican Cardinal Jose Francisco Robles Ortega (63) calls for “a more open and globalized vision” of the Catholic Church by the future Pope. Topics such as the rejection to same-sex marriage, abortion, and women in the priesthood are however “non-negotiable”,  the Archbishop of Guadalajara, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

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Competition for the production of the new Pope robe

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Rome is puzzled since days who will make the robe for the successor to Benedict XVI. Two Roman “clergy tailors” are in the race for this prestigious job.

The family Gammarelli, that dresses the Cardinals at the Vatican since 1793, and the younger rival Euroclero, who supplied  Josef Ratzinger with robes during his 20 years as a Curial Cardinal, and to whom Benedict has remained loyal in his years as Pope.

Euroclero

Sizes small, medium and large

The tailor shop that receives the order from the Vatican must make three complete Pope robes until the beginning of the conclave – in sizes small, medium and large. Because it is unclear what stature the new Pontiff will have, several vestments must be sewn. As of this writing the story is told in Rome about John XXIII., the “good Pope,”: the full-bodied Italian looked like a “sausage” in his too-tight suit. Before he appeared on the Loggia of St. Peter’s after the “Habemus papam” in 1958, the back seam had to be unstitched. Each Pope robe includes also a hat, cape, sash, cassock, red shoes and a whole lot more.

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