“Each time the Mass is offered in Sacramento, we pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis,” said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, in a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the Holy Father’s election to the papacy.
“This is a blessed opportunity to make the unity of the church a personal relationship,” he said. “Pope Francis needs our prayers and we need to pray for him. Prayer for the Holy Father unites us with him and our fellow Catholics around the globe. Our prayers for him make the unity of the church more than a matter of doctrine. Our personal bonds to the Holy Father weave a fabric of charity that brings us together in the one mind and the one heart of Christ Jesus.
Pope Francis is a pontiff of firsts, to be sure. First pope from the Americas, he is also the first Jesuit, the first non-European since Gregory III, a Syrian, in 741, and the first from south of the equator.
Five years ago, on March 13, 2013, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signifying his election to the papacy by a two-thirds majority of cardinal electors. To mark his fifth anniversary as Holy Father, let’s take a look at some accomplishments and interesting facts about Pope Francis.
His life story
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio Dec. 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents, he is one of five siblings. He completed studies in chemistry and in the humanities, and holds degrees in philosophy and theology from Colegio of San José. He completed doctoral studies in Germany in 1986, and worked in a number of ordinary jobs to help pay for his education.
Pope Francis entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1958 and, after teaching at the secondary and post-secondary levels, was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 13, 1969. He studied in Spain, and in 1973 made his final profession of vows with the Jesuits. On May 27, 1992, he was ordained a bishop and became Auxiliary of Buenos Aires. His episcopal motto, miserando atque eligendo, means “Because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him.” He continues to employ this motto as pope.
In June 1997, he was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and in Feb. 1998, he became archbishop, succeeding Cardinal Antonio Quarracino when the cardinal died.
Pope John Paul II created him Cardinal in the Consistory of Feb. 21, 2001. Instead of inviting well-wishers to Rome to celebrate his elevation to cardinal, he requested that people donate to the poor what they would have spent on the journey.
Prior to his election as pope, Francis served as a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for Clergy, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pontifical Council for the Family, and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Throughout his life as priest, bishop, cardinal and pope, Francis has lived a simple life and embraced austerity. Until he became pope, he always flew coach; now he travels in “Shepherd One”. In Buenos Aires, he was a frequent bus rider. Now, rather than live in the Papal apartments, he lives in the Vatican guesthouse, where he often cooks his own meals.
His publications
Pope Francis is a prolific writer, having authored several books (Meditaciones Para Religiosos, 1982; Reflexiones Sobre La Vida Apostólica, 1992; and Reflexiones De Esperanza, 1992) while he was grand chancellor of the Catholic University of Argentina.
As pontiff, he is also the author of:
Encyclicals: Lumen Fidei (June 29, 2013) and Laudato si’ (May 24, 2015)
Apostolic Exhortations: Amoris Laetitia: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhoration on love in the family (March 19, 2016) and Evangelii Gaudium: Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (Nov. 24, 2013)
Apostolic letters, motu proprios and bulls: More than 20. A motu proprio is a letter or instruction that the pope has issued “on his personal initiation” or “on his own accord.” A papal bull is an official letter or document. The name bull comes from the metal seal, or bulla, traditionally attached to the document. Originally issued by popes for simple public communication, since the 15th century, papal bulls have only been used for formal or solemn occasions.
Francis, the world traveler
To date, Pope Francis has visited 30 countries on five continents, not counting visits outside the Vatican (city-state) to locations within Italy. Within the next year, he is scheduled to visit Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, India, Romania, and Poland. He also has pending visits to 29 additional countries, including Australia, which will make the sixth continent he’ll have visited.
Did you know?
Pope Francis had lung surgery as a teen, and today has only one functioning lung. In spite of that, he is in excellent health at 81 years old.
He is multi-lingual, speaking Spanish, Latin and Italian fluently, and understands and speaks some German, French, Portuguese, English and Ukranian.
He is the only pope to ever address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
A true Argentinian, Pope Francis loves the tango. And wine.
He loves the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
In the 1960s, he taught literature, philosophy, psychology, and theology at several high schools in Argentina.
He hasn’t watched television since 1990, and relies on the Swiss Guard to keep him up to date on soccer scores from his beloved San Lorenzo team from Argentina.
He misses the opportunity to walk through the city to a favorite pizzeria to enjoy a slice, saying delivery just isn’t the same.
Rumor has it that he makes awesome paella.
When a small child came onto the stage to hug him during an important Mass, Pope Francis would not let security remove the child. Instead, the pope welcomed the child, and offered the child a seat in a chair.
Pope Francis often leaves the Vatican at night to help the homeless.
He auctioned his Harley Davidson to benefit the homeless.
The Pope obliges everyone who wants him in their selfies!
Pope Francis opts for simple – often used – cars to travel around, even on major foreign visits, instead of limousines.
He celebrated Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper in the chapel of a prison and kissed the feet of the prisoners as he washed them.
He was the first major leader of a world religion to appear on Rolling Stone magazine’s cover.
Writing of the pros and cons of the digital age, and its implications for Catholics when interacting with people from different faiths and backgrounds, Pope Francis referred to the internet as a “gift from God.”
He says that Catholic beliefs are consistent with evolution and the Big Bang theory.
Full story at Diocese of Sacramento website.
I don’t understand why so many people are so enamored with this pontiff who is obviously hurting the Church. It’s okay to say he’s a bad pope. That doesn’t make you less Catholic or a bad Catholic. The ingratiating lengths some people go to to say, “Oh, how wuuuuuunderfuuuuuuul Pope Francis is,” are off-putting.
Here’s another first: he’s the first pope in my lifetime whom I’ve disliked.
As my mother says: “To each his own.” Most American Catholics like him.
Take a poll at a TLM community and see what the results are.
Every faithful Catholic loves him. Pray the Rosary for him and for yourself and for an increase in faith, hope and love in every Catholic. Pray to be given the grace to avoid near occasions of sin (which are plentiful on the Internet.) Pray to understand the times.
The TLM community is a small minority of the faithful. As I said, MOST American Catholics like him.
A pretty great guy!
What is for the greater glory of God? Supporters paying thousands to visit Rome to see the installation as Cardinal? Or the money spent on the poor? For the poor shall always be with us…
I didn’t know the Holy Father had a harley! :})
It was a gift from Harley-Davidson
Clearly the two Anonymous’s above are not the same. Please give yourselves numbers or something.
Anon, we are enamored with this Pontiff because he is opening wide the windows of the Church and making it more Christ-like that it has ever been. He is taking us from a rules based faith to a faith in which we walk with Jesus. He is a Pontiff who speaks to the needs of the people, who encourages Priests and Bishops to get out of the house and walk with the poor, the hurting and the alienated. He encourages bringing the Gospel to the people, not the laws. He is shaking up the Curia, bit by bit, to make it responsive to the needs of the people of faith. He preaches the salvation of souls louder than many Popes in the past, but also in a different way. I like him!.
Of course all the accolades you heap upon him are so vague and malleable as to mean whatever you’d like them to mean; anything at all and nothing in particular. That summarizes the Francis papacy. He’s all things to everybody and nothing very specific to anybody. I tend to think that to “walk with Jesus” means to respect and obey his words as recorded in the Gospel. But I guess that doesn’t appeal to everybody.
The internet loves drama so there is a lot of stirring things up. But if you really live the way the Pope teaches you to live, you will be a saint.
Hey Jesus also chose 12. If could not get it exactly “right” [because 1/12 was a REAL disaster] how could the College of Cardinals.
Am being cheeky here.
The point is that God will make good even out of bad. Praise Jesus~ Now and Forever!