Francis I

Like quite a few people I was very skeptical about the election of the next Pope. Then , as the papal conclave got under way, and the short list of potential candidates started to be discussed in the media, I felt a sense of curiosity and hope. The Cardinal from Boston, and the Cardinal from Brazil, and the Cardinal from Ghana were talked about at some length. This seemed promising. When the white smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, I was definitely excited and very hopeful that the Catholic Church had chosen a Pope who would bring new breath to the 1.2 billion Catholics world wide. When it was announced that the newly elected Pope was Cardinal Bergoglio from Argentina, who chose the name Francis I,  I felt a wave of emotion and joy. He took the name after Saint Francis of Assisi, known for his devotion to helping the poor, and apparently Pope Francis I is known for his humble service to the poor. He apparently refused the privilege of a limousine as a Cardinal and used public transportation, and lived in a simple flat. Now, there's a Pope for you, a man after Christ's heart. As soon as I saw the newly elected Pope step to the window of the balcony, and saw his smile and heard him say the simple words to the crowd, "Bonna serra "," good evening", and saw the radiance and warmth of his presence, I felt engulfed in a deep gratitude and elation. Good still exists, good things can still happen, even on a grand scale. It was wonderful. The simple prayers he prayed together with the crowd, asking them to also pray for him, as well as his predecessor, were deeply touching. His request to pray in silence with him for a few minutes, turning the entire 10,000 plus crowd silent in sincere devotion was amazing. Pope Francis I charisma was almost instantaneous. I was born and raised a Catholic in Belgium, and am now a member since the last 19 years of an African American Baptist Church. But I believe that today it did not matter whether you were Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, or Hindu, what mattered was that all believers saw a man who stands for compassion, humility, kindness, service and surely the world is in great need of those very timely qualities in the largest organization on the planet. Saint Francis of Assisi has always been my most favorite saint, and to now have a Pope named after this amazing Italian saint is nothing short of fantastic. I think tonight all of Rome and Italy is already quite taken by Francis I, and soon the rest of the world will be. Today, there is a new bright light in the Vatican, and how bright it shines already.