Jorge Mario Bergoglio commenced his controversial and trailblazing papacy on March 13, 2013, when he was elected the 266th Pope. From the moment Bergoglio became Pontiff, he fell under worldwide dispute. Primarily, he was the first Pope to hail from somewhere other than Europe, being the Jesuit Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a native of the city (“Biography” 1). He also stirred immediate controversy by electing the papal name of Francis; a name that was thought by many Catholics to only belong to St. Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint most revered for his life of poverty and dedication to the poor (Raushenbush 1). Pope Francis was devoted from the beginning to a radical lifestyle and a radical agenda of teaching and service. From washing the feet of a young Muslim woman in a youth prison to his comments on gay marriage, Pope Francis has attracted a multitude of attention to himself, both positive and negative attention (Pigott 1). He has become known for breaking the social norms surrounding the role of the Pontiff. He chose not to live in the luxurious papal apartment and continues not to wear the more ornate clothes significant of his position, representative of his dedication to the service of the poor, once stating to reporters, “How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor” (“Pope” 1). He is one of the most technologically advanced popes, using social media sites like Twitter to connect with people daily on a global scale. The media eye is constantly following the Pontiff, documenting almost every comment and broadcasting them for worldwide, public speculation. In all the controversy, support, and opposition surrounding Pope Francis, one of the most current and stirring issues has been his c...
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...scussion on some of the most ethically challenging problems we face.
Works Cited
1. "Biography of Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio." Biography of Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Vatican. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
2. Pigott, Robert. "Pope Francis Gives Catholic Church Gentle Revolution." BBC News. BBC, 01 July 2014. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
3. "Pope Francis: 'I Would Love a Church That Is Poor'" National Catholic Reporter. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
4. Raushenbush, Paul Brandeis. "Pope Francis 'Evangelii Gaudium' Calls For Renewal Of Roman Catholic Church, Attacks 'Idolatry Of Money'" The Huffington Post. 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
5. Shaw, Adam. "Pope Francis' War on Aspiration." Fox News. FOX News Network, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
6. Parnass, Sarah. "By the Numbers: Catholics in America." ABC News. ABC News Network, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
Elected in 1958 as a ‘caretaker Pope’, Pope John XXIII implemented the greatest reforms in the Church’s history. His involvement within the Church had played a significant contribution to the reforming of social, political and liturgical Christian traditions. During the early twentieth century, the Catholic Church still held the century old conservative beliefs and traditions as they continued to separate the Church from the secular world, therefore, disadvantaging the Church to a world that was modernising. In addition to this, the Church restricted modernist thoughts due to the belief that new theologies would threaten the power and authority of the Church, but ...
Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero was born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador on August 15, 1917. He was the second of seven children born to parents Santos Romero and Guadalupe de Jesus Santos. At the age of twelve, his parents were not able to afford his education and therefore apprenticed him to a carpenter. Oscar trained to be a carpenter, but he always knew he wanted to be a priest. When he was just thirteen years old, he left home to study at a seminary in the city of San Miguel (Kellogg). There he studied for seven years, and left in 1937 for the national seminary, which was run by the Jesuits in San Salvador. He later went to Rome and studied Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome. While studying there, World War II spread throughout Europe, but that did not stop him from earning his Licentiate degree in Theology.
Chapter one, ‘Beginnings at Assisi,’ offers a vivid description of the social, political, economic, cultural, demographic description of Assisi and its inhabitants. Here, the author describes the life of Francis and the situations and circumstances prompting his journey to spread the ideal gospel life to the world. This chapter is relevant in determining the circumstances that instigated a need for reforms in the Catholic Church. This chapter is applicable in my life because it offers insight on the fundamental Christian I can rely on in my daily life.
Although the beginning of Church history began around 30 A.D., many events have taken part in the ushering of our faith and the history within it. Practicing my religion daily, I take part in the common aspects of religion, such as prayer, receiving the sacraments, and attending Church. Catholicism has been a part of my life since I was born, starting with my baptism, yet I truly never understood the history behind it. Learning about Church history, I was significantly interested in papal Bull’s over any other topic. I wanted to learn more about their issuing, and the impacts that they had on the religion that I have been practicing daily since Kindergarten.
Francis impacted the world in many ways. St. Francis formed many traditions and cultures to the Christian faith. St. Francis founded an order that takes on of his followers with him all around Italy claiming to be itinerant preachers in 1209. On St. Francis’ free time, he would preach to people in churches, stores, restaurants, and even in the streets! He went out of his way to help people he didn’t know. This taught people how to be generous and caring. St. Francis created an organization called The Order of Friars Minor. The Order of Friars Minor stands for the Franciscans. The Franciscans means “brother.” The Order of Friars Minor was founded to go out into the towns and preach the word of God. The Franciscans also helped the poor and sick around. They brought food to the poor and cared for them. The Franciscans visited the imprisoned and comforted
Roles of the Catholic Church in Western civilization has been scrambled with the times past and development of Western society. Regardless of the fact that the West is no longer entirely Catholic, the Catholic tradition is still strong in Western countries. The church has been a very important foundation of public facilities like schooling, Western art, culture and philosophy; and influential player in religion. In many ways it has wanted to have an impact on Western approaches to pros and cons in numerous areas. It has over many periods of time, spread the teachings of Jesus within the Western World and remains a foundation of continuousness connecting recent Western culture to old Western culture.-
Jorge Luis Borges possesses writing styles unlike others of his time. Through his series of works, he has acquired the title of "the greatest living writer in the Spanish language." The particular example of work that I read, titled "Ficciones," was a definite portrayal of his culture. The book was not merely a list of facts from his birth country; instead the real cultural knowledge came from his writing style. The book consisted of two parts; each part was broken up into stories. Each one, despite being fiction, is a painting of his experiences, and the cultures of Buenos Aires. Among his themes are myths passed down through the families in his country. I thought that the stories that were contained in this collection were very educational. When finally taking a minute to analyze, and find deeper meaning to the tales, I discovered that they all posses what he has known in his life. He is easily distinguishable in his works. Now that I have thoroughly made it clear of his uniqueness, it will be easier for me to explain my next opinion. I thought that the writing style of Jorge Luis Borges was extremely exciting. He possesses the ability to capture his readers by fully utilizing the writing style known as irony. I found that irony is a large part of his works. He makes sure that the climax of the particular piece is not revealed until the conclusion of the story. A strong example of this was in a piece entitled "The Garden of Forking Paths." Bo...
Before, most people in Europe placed great importance on God and religion, but during the Renaissance, some people began to think about the importance of individuals as well. These thinkers were called humanists. In spite of this, people have twisted this idea for the advantage to themselves. Such words to describe them are egoistic and self-centred. The already corrupt Papacy reached its crucial depths during the rule of Pope Alexander VI, who abused his power within the church. He was a pope bent on political and material triumph. It was no secret that Cesare, his son, was a murderer and killed many of his political opponents. As pope, they are granted outstanding privileges. Pope Leo X utilized nepotism to guarantee his position as pope. He also used up the papal treasury with his extravagant lifestyle and projects. To free himself from debt, Leo granted indulgences to those who pay the church (to forgive their sins, thus saving them from the punishment from God). In addition to that, not only was the papacy corrupt but also the rulers. Rulers used many different methods, such as diplomatic marriages and Machiavellian acts to secure their rule of the area. To response whether it is better to be lo...
Jesus washed the feet of 12 people to show that we should be doing the kind and most respectful things towards each other even if they have been untrustworthy and against your beliefs, you should still be there if they need someone, and this is what Pope Francis is doing. Pope Francis is upholding the ritual of Jesus in hoping the outcome will be that someday, all people of all races and nationalities will stand alongside each other in all types of circumstances for the greater good and we, as humans, become better of for
At the beginning of the sixteenth century church theologian, Martin Luther, wrote the 95 Theses questioning the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. In this essay I will discuss: the practices of the Roman Catholic Church Martin Luther wanted to reform, what Martin’s specific criticism of the pope was, and the current practices Pope Francis I is interested in refining in the Roman Catholic Church today.
The Pope addresses the science of climate change. What does the scientific consensus tell us about climate change, its causes and consequences?
In the short story “The Quest for Saint Aquin” by Anthony Boucher, the author writes about the religious beliefs regarding the “never-decaying” saint, Saint Aquin. The Pope is extremely poor and has lost most of the power to
Vatican City is an international tourist destination for millions of people yearly yet it is home to less than a thousand people. Vatican City’s economy stems most of its annual revenue from tourism. The selling of stamps, museum admissions, tourist souvenirs, and religious publications all contribute to the care taking of the City. Created from the dust of the demolished Cappella Maggiore, the past Papal Temple, the Sistine chapel was constructed beginning in late 1473. Pope Sixtus IV gave breath to the demolition of the old chapel with the intention of building the most beautiful building for god’s people. The chapel is used approximately 50 times per year for a soulful mass. When the time comes for a new pope, the Sistine Chapel is used for the congregation of all the Cardinals for voting. A Cardinals “[is] a high ecclesiastic figure appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals” (Cardinal). Voting comes in rounds each with different rules regarding for whom one can vote for. “The first being an ordinary ballot at which each Cardinal has to vote ; the second, termed technically the accessus, where it is allowable for a cardinal to transfer his previous vote to any candidate who may have obtained votes on that same previous occasion” (Cartwright 196). Accessus rounds can immediately follow the previous round of normal voting so there is lots of conversation following the announced results of each first round. Cardinals come from all over t...
Saint Francis of Assisi was a uniquely spiritual man who gave up a life of wealth and position to lead a life of poverty in accordance and service to God. Embracing a life according to the Gospels, Francis went on to establish a Monastic Order, known as the Franciscans. In the midst of the political climate within the religious community of Italy, Francis emerged a champion for the poor and sick, with humility and no regard for himself. Francis exhibited his love for God through his love and admiration for all of God's creation including nature. The principles of Saint Francis are as relevant today as they were in thirteenth century Italy; service and love to all of God’s creation.
St Ignatius of Loyola is an inspiring person and has touched the lives of many people even now centuries after his death. Loyola has affected the lives of an uncountable number of people, either directly or indirectly. He started as an extremely brave and tough soldier and turned into the founder of a powerful religious order. He was born in 1491 in Spain and founded the Jesuits in 1540 at the age of 49.The Jesuits today are still a devoted religious order. Everything they do is in God’s name, hence their motto AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM this literally means “for the greater glory of God”. (Linten, Seven Things) Many Jesuits (and even non Jesuits like Pope John Paul II) sign their documents with amdg at the end to show that they do their work for God and not solely for themselves. (Linten, Seven Things) The Jesuits have survived multiple persecutions and yet have still remained a major influence in the church and in universities around the world. If it were not for an unfortunate cannonball shattering a soldier’s leg then none of this may have happened.