The inspiring virtues of Pope Francis
Today, we welcome Pope Francis to our country. Without intending to be irreverent, and with all due respect, we have a pope who is very human, very humane, compassionate and humble, simple, down-to-earth, so unadorned and so spontaneous, very approachable and very warm. If Pope John Paul II was Pope Congeniality, and if Pope Benedict XVI was Pope Intellectual, Pope Francis is Pope Simplicity and Pope Compassion. He comes from the poor and has never forgotten his humble beginnings even when he is already there on top of the echelons of powers, and glory.
His first and foremost virtue is humility. When he was elected pope, he knelt down before his erstwhile brother cardinals, and declared that he is a sinner. And when he looked out from the balcony, instead of immediately giving his papal benediction to the city and to the world, he humbly asked the faithful to pray for him and for his papacy, in the face of all the challenges that today's world and times present. He did not accept a gold ring but only silver, and he chose very simple vestments to indicate his dislike for too much adornment while the poor suffer in hunger and poverty. Deep within, he is still the son of a railroad worker in Buenos Aires.
His second virtue is simplicity, or if you will, frugality. He opted to live in a humble guest house, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, instead of being served and guarded like a royalty inside the stately papal residence, where kings and presidents are received in official visits and where state functions and formal banquets are tendered to heads of states and heads of governments. For, aside from being the supreme pontiff, the pope is also an absolute sovereign of the Vatican City State. But Francis chooses to remain a guest in Vatican, a passing pilgrim, and the true servant of the servants of God.
His third virtue is compassion for the poor. He invites poor people to his birthday parties. He walks and talks with poor people. His visit to Tacloban is the best evidence of this virtue. To manifest in action his communion with the poor, the former archbishop of Argentina used to take the train or the bus, instead of using the official car or to take a taxi. He also travelled economy when he flew to Rome from Argentina and back. Pope Francis has a strong commitment to social justice and inclusive economic growth. His fourth virtue is courage to push for reforms in the Church. He is not afraid to step on the shoes of vested interests. He ex-communicated the recalcitrant while embracing the penitent.
His fifth virtue is commitment to peace and reconciliation. In his recent visit to Turkey, he prayed inside the mosque together with Muslim religious leaders. He also visited the Orthodox head and asked for forgiveness for the hurts that the Catholic Church might have caused upon the other religious groups. His sixth virtue is gratitutude. He treats Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI with great respect and deep affections. He was perhaps grateful that his predecessor's kindness paved the way for his ascension to Peter's chair. The seventh virtue of Pope Francis is mercy. His coming to our country after all our adversities is an eloquent expression of a truly merciful heart.
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