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Tom Coop Luke 4:14-20 September 11, 2016 Francis: The People’s Pope So, Jesus, , and a Protestant walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “What will it be today?” As Pope Francis reaches for his wallet, Jesus winks at his companions and says to the bartender, “Just three glasses – and keep the pitchers of water coming.” I don’t know about you, but I can just imagine Pope Francis joining Jesus, if he went into a bar. And thoroughly enjoying himself!

Let’s start with some basic facts. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the eldest of five children. His father, Mario Bergoglio was an accountant who immigrated with his parents from in 1929 to escape the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini. And his mother, Regina, was a housewife. In the only known health crisis of his youth, at the age of 21 Jorge suffered from life-threatening pneumonia and three pulmonary cysts. As a result, he had part of a lung removed shortly thereafter. Following college, Jorge Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician AND also as a nightclub bouncer and janitor. Shortly thereafter, he felt a call to ministry and entered seminary. 2

This was almost short-circuited by a crush he had on a girl he met which caused him to briefly doubt continuing the religious career. He apparently doubted only briefly and soon joined the Jesuits and made the religious profession of the perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Bergoglio was officially ordained to the priesthood on December 13, 1969. Interesting aside, Bergoglio said that initially his mother did not want him to enter the priesthood and instead wanted him to be a doctor. However, by the time he was ordained, she was on board 100%.

In 1998, Bergoglio became Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Wanting to see an increased presence in the slums of Buenos Aires, the number of priests assigned to work in the slums, under his watch, doubled. This led to him being called the “Slum Bishop”.

In 2001, Archbishop Bergoglio was appointed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Bergoglio quickly became known for his personal humility, doctrinal conservatism, and commitment to social justice. A simple lifestyle contributed to his reputation for humility. 3

He lived in a small apartment, rather than in the elegant bishop’s residence. He took public transportation and cooked his own meals. After Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005, Bergoglio was considered one of the possible successors to the papacy. He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2005 that elected Pope Benedict XVI. It is believed that Bergoglio was the runner-up, but partly because he told his cardinals he didn’t want the job.

Following Pope Benedict XVI’s surprising retirement just eight years later, Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013. Instead of accepting his cardinals’ congratulations while seated on the Papal throne, Francis received them standing, sending an immediate sign of a changing approach to formalities at the Vatican. At his first audience with journalists three days later, Francis told them that he had chosen his papal in honor of Saint . And had done so because he was especially concerned for the well-being of the poor, as was St. Francis! This is the first time that a pope has been named Francis. It is also the first time since Pope Lando‘s reign from 913-914 that a serving pope held a name not used by a predecessor. There are other firsts. He is the first Jesuit pope. He is the first pope from America. 4

He is the first pope born outside of in more than 1,000 years. His life and his papacy have been characterized as one of humility. Amazingly, after he was elected pope – he returned to the boarding house where he had been staying to pay his bill personally, rather than send an assistant. Francis also chose not to live in the official papal residence in the , but to remain in the Vatican guest house, in a suite in which he can receive visitors and hold meetings. He is the first pope since to live outside the over 100 years ago.

In addition to his native Spanish, Francis is also fluent in Latin (the official language of the )… In Italian, (the official language of and the “everyday language” of the Holy See)… And conversant in German, French, Portuguese, and English. He is currently a citizen of three different countries: Argentina, Italy, and the Vatican. Although he loves the Bible, one of his favorite authors is J.R.R. Tolkien. (especially The Lord of the Rings). He drives a used Ford Taurus to travel around the Vatican grounds. 5

Although he is known for his simple tastes, he does have an appreciation for a good glass of wine. I think it is in his genes – his grandfather was a winemaker back in Italy. A true-blooded Argentine through and through, Pope Francis loved the South American dance, the Tango, which actually originated in Buenos Aires. But it takes two to tango, so the pope confessed that he had a girlfriend whom he danced with as a teen before he became a priest. I wonder if she was the one that gave him pause before he committed to the priesthood??? And get this: Pope Francis hasn’t watched television since 1990. He has never been tech savvy. He doesn’t have a tablet. He doesn’t use a cell phone—he refused to carry one when he was in Buenos Aires. But he instinctively grasps that if the Church is going to meet people where they are—and one of the places where people are in our time is in the digital space—then you have to go there. So he goes there. His papal Twitter feed now has more than 21 million followers in nine languages. And one more bonus fact: Pope Francis also had his episode of puppy love. He wrote a love letter to a girl in his neighborhood when he was 12 years old. He reportedly told her, “If you don’t marry me, I’m going to be a priest.” She said, “no.” And the rest, as they say, is history! 6

Mercy has been the theme of the Francis era. Francis even came up with a verb for it: misericordiando which loosely translated means mercy-ing. And he doesn’t just speak it, he lives it. On the first Holy Thursday following his election, Francis washed and kissed the feet of ten male and two female juvenile offenders, not all Catholic, aged from 14 to 21, telling them the ritual of foot washing is a sign that he is at their service. This was the first time that a pope had included women in this ritual. AND, one of the male and one of the female offenders were also Muslim.

As cardinal (and as pope) Francis thought Christian morality was not a titanic effort of the will, but a response to the mercy of God. It is not a matter of never falling down but of always getting up again. He believes in the principle that God never wearies of forgiving humans. And stresses the importance of our never tiring in asking for forgiveness. Because of this emphasis, it is said that many have returned to God and to confession, a result which has been called the “Francis effect”.

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Francis also said: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. “I start by saying—and this is the fundamental thing—that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. “The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience. Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”

Shortly after his election, the pope called for more interreligious dialogue as a way of “building bridges” and establishing “true links of friendship between all people”. He said that his of “” means “builder of bridges”. And it was his wish that “the dialogue between us should help to build bridges connecting all people, in such a way that everyone can see in the other not an enemy, not a rival, but a brother or sister to be welcomed and embraced.”

The Pope said: “I feel like saying something that may sound controversial or even heretical, perhaps. But there is someone (God) who ‘knows’ that, despite our differences, we are one... “He knows that Christians are disciples of Christ, that they are one, that they are brothers! “He doesn’t care if they are Evangelicals or Orthodox, Lutherans, Catholics or Apostolic... he doesn’t care! “They are Christians. 8

“The hope for unity in the Church relies on ordinary Christians”, the Pontiff said, “not on the work of theologians.” “Theologians help us... but if we hope that theologians will agree with one another, we will reach unity the day after Judgement Day. “The Holy Spirit brings about unity. Theologians are helpful, but most helpful is the goodwill of us all who are on this journey with our hearts open to the Holy Spirt!”

Muslim leaders in Buenos Aires welcomed the news of Bergoglio’s election as pope, noting that he “always showed himself as a friend of the Islamic community”, and a person whose position is “pro-dialogue”. An editorial in the Saudi Arabian paper Saudi Gazette said that his public call as pope for increased dialogue with Islam “comes as a breath of fresh air at a time when much of the Western world is experiencing a nasty outbreak of Islamophobia“.

On June 18, 2015, Pope Francis issued a papal called Laudato si’ on climate change, care for the environment, and sustainable development. The encyclical sets apart the basic human needs and appetites. Francis considers that the former are small and non- negotiable, and that the later are potentially unlimited. 9

Although he asks for the use of renewable energy instead of conventional fuels, he thinks that it would not be enough unless society turns down the unlimited appetites of consumerism. Interestingly, this has been opposed by Vatican conservatives, Catholic conservatives, and the US evangelical movement. Pope Francis also told the members of the of Sciences that he supports the Big Bang theory and evolution. According to the newspaper, The Independent, Pope Francis said that “The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.”

Pope Francis is certainly the people’s pope! On a typical Monday morning he is at his desk, reading, writing—and talking on the phone. Up at 4 a.m. to pray—after making his own bed—he is known to call people as early as 6 a.m. A woman who was raped in Argentina; a young man whose brother was killed in a car crash; a woman who had married a divorced man and wished for them both to receive Communion. These are the people he calls. On Francis’s desk is a well-worn prayer book with a letter his grandmother sent to him on the occasion of his ordination, in 1969, folded into it. His black leather satchel is nearby. Traveling, in 2013, Francis carried the bag himself, holding it in his left hand while he shook the hands of foreign dignitaries with 10 his right, and when this caught the attention of some reporters, he scoffed: “It wasn’t the key for the atom bomb [in there]! There was a razor, a prayer book, an appointment book, a book to read. “I have always taken a bag with me when travelling—it’s normal. We must get used to being normal.”

Shortly after his election he named a group of eight cardinal advisers from around the world, reversing centuries of precedent that the Pope, as Christ’s vicar on earth, acts alone—and creating a model for a more collegial approach to Church governance. He has likened this “group of eight” to a working group, and their meetings—several times a year—are held in the guesthouse conference room rather than an august Vatican chamber. The point is clear: those cardinals aren’t princes of the Church; they’re heads of households—a Kitchen Cabinet.

I think the whole of who Pope Francis is can be summed up in something he said not too long ago:

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. 11

“I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.”

Some religion columnists and commentators attribute the public’s esteem to his humble insistence that he is ordinary. In fact, humility may just be the pontiff’s trademark. The Washington Post summed it up in one headline: “Like Pope Francis? You’ll Love Jesus.” The Post is not alone in pointing out that the pope’s actions, words and demeanor are often reminiscent of the Jesus portrayed in the Gospels. Humility may be exactly the kind of “ordinary” Pope Francis hopes will become the norm among all of those who claim to follow Christ. This is the Pope who is reminding people that the primary work of the church is to be an instrument of Christ’s reconciling grace and love – to be, as he says: “A field hospital on the battleground of life.” And he has modeled this for us by touching and embracing those who have known rejection and pain for too long. By inviting homeless men and their pets to his birthday party. By serving communion to divorced women. By embracing atheist leaders as children of God. By spontaneously picking up hitchhikers in his Pope-Mobile; 12

And by allowing children who wander onto the papal stage while he addresses the crowd to give him a hug and sit on his chair. All of this is happening through a church leader who is, by his own admission, a sinner, a leader who is bringing us back to the basic principles that unite us.

There will come a time when he will walk through the door Pope Benedict opened in 2013 and go into retirement. The Jesuit James McCann, when he was rector of the Orientale, a pontifical institute in , asked Francis if he would be willing to take part in the school’s centenary celebration, in 2017. “There’s going to be a different Pope by then,” Francis told him. “I have the feeling my pontificate will be brief: four or five years; I do not know, even two or three. Two have already passed.” (this was in 2015) Nobody can know what Francis will be doing next year or the year after. Right now, though, he is the Pope, the People’s Pope. And for that we can be thankful. We don’t have to agree with everything he says or does … only Jesus deserves that unconditional devotion. However, I believe that as a model of what the church (and us) should be, we couldn’t ask for a better example of Christ’s love and mercy and humility. Amen. 13