| by Victor Cherubim
( March 14, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) A timeless ritual played out in the hallowed surround of the Sistine Chapel within the walls of Michelangelo’s, ”The Last Judgment” on the ceiling in the Vatican, before the election of a Pontiff, surprisingly overshadowed the actual election of the new Pope, who strangely singled out “vanity as a loathsome vice.”
 |
| Pope Francis bows to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on March 13, 2013. - AP |
The gruelling schedule of ballots taken to achieve a two thirds majority of 77 votes among the 115 Cardinals eligible to vote, together with an oath of secrecy “to promise, pledge and swear” under pain of excommunication, without the use of mobiles, tweets, twitter or other media communication, was enforced by tradition. The only word, in fact the only symbol seen was the bellowing of white smoke from the special chimney, which declared the result. Paradoxically, Americans often refer to any unforeseeable event or decision as “holy smoke.”
To add to the suspense, it took a further 61 minutes for the Argentinean Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first South American to be declared Pontiff, to take the name Pope Francis I and to appear on the Vatican balcony. The vast crowd could not at first understand the enormity of the change that had taken place, as they waited outside in the rain.
The new Pope
Pope Francis I, born of Italian parents (17 December 1936) was Archbishop of Buenos Aires,
Argentina. He was a well known missionary of the Jesuit Order, a simple, unostentatious champion of the poor, who had given up his car to ride by public transport in his homeland.
His first words, “I want you all to bless me,” immediately made him “a Man of the People.” Comments flooded from all around the world. The Archbishop of Canterbury in his congratulatory message stated: “A compassionate pastor of great stature who had served the poor in Latin America, whose simplicity and holiness of life was well known.”
His election was indeed a historical occasion in which the Church made itself more universal than ever. Pope Francis I, as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, had monk like habits, was media shy and deeply concerned about the social inequalities rife in his homeland and elsewhere in Latin America. In that sense he had a connection already established with the Third World.
The co-author of his biography, Francesca Ambrogette, had this to say:
“His character is in every way that of a moderate. He is absolutely capable of understanding the necessary renovation, without any leaps into the unknown. He would be a balancing force.”
Pope Francis I in his own words had this to say some years ago:
“The radical challenge that Argentina must face is precisely the deep crisis of values in our culture from which other serious problems derive, the scandal of poverty and social exclusion, the crisis in marriage and the family, the need for greater communion at the root of the current state of society, we find the fragmentation that questions and weakens the links between man and God, with the family, with society and with the Church.”
The issues now for the Church
Unlike the past two conclaves of Cardinals within the timeframe of 35 years (27 years of
Late Pope John Paul II and 8 years of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI), the issues facing the Roman Church is not about “conservatism versus liberals”. It is not also about “age v youth” or “Europe v The Rest”. It is now not only charismatic or theology, but “missionary work for the poor of the world”.
The Roman Church is growing by leaps and bounds everywhere, other than in Europe. In
Latin America, Africa and in Asia the Word is spread. A total Catholic population of 1.4 billion is no longer a small fraction of the total world’s populace.
Issues are less important than Values in today’s world. The new Pope will be looked upon more as a Leader in a troubled world, rather than as Head of a Religious Christian Belief.
The new Pope will be looked upon to give leadership and direction on not only moral but also social values. He would have to command the respect of all faiths and all people.
The new Pope and Sri Lanka
Respect is a two way street and the outreach of the new Pope will be likewise. The crisis of holiness is not Church specific. It is interfaith. Social exclusion of faith has been a bane of current thinking. Sri Lanka is part of the Third World and Buddhism is equally widespread.
Granted in Latin America there is very little Buddhism, with which to hold a dialogue. But there are Buddhists who have been part of his mission in dialogue. Now as Pope Francis I, to the global Catholic community, he will face Buddhists –but Buddhists will equally face him in mutual respect. With Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit, we are told Pope Francis brings an openness to the deeper questions of human understanding in an effort” to bring humanity together” in the many challenges that face all of us today as part of the Third World.
 A timeless ritual played out in the hallowed surround of the Sis...){kind=link}