Posted by REV. ANDRE G. DENIS D.D.
March 14, 2013 -
#PHEASE9
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5 things to know about the new pope
He's the first Jesuit and the first Latin American in modern times to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. Pope Francis doesn't have a numeral after his name. That's because he's the first to take the name Francis. The pope wanted to honor St. Francis of Assisi, an admirer of nature and a servant to the poor and destitute. Francis is the first non-European po...pe in modern times. But back in the 8th century, a Syrian -- Pope St. Gregory III -- led the church from 731 to 741 A.D. "The new pope is a very humble man," said the Rev. Andre G. Denis D.D. "He takes public transport every day." He also chose to live in an apartment instead of the archbishop's palace, passed on a chauffeured limousine and cooked his own meals, In his first public act as pontiff, Pope Francis broke with tradition by asking the estimated 150,000 people packed into St. Peter's Square to pray for him, rather than him blessing the crowd first. The pontiff broke with another tradition by refusing to use a platform to elevate himself above the cardinals standing with him as he was introduced to the world as Pope Francis. He faces a host of challenges ahead ......
