It's no secret that I adore Pope Francis. I really can't wait to see the wonderful things he will do. I still remember when we were anticipating the announcement of the new pope and were pretty much glued to the coverage all day! We may or may not have celebrated with amazing Argentinian food and lots and lots of wine. On that note, today I'm sharing five things I love about Pope Francis.
HE CHOSE THE NAME FRANCIS
Although the custom of choosing a new name once elected Pope has been around since the sixth century, Pope Francis is the first Pope to ever choose the name Francis. He says he chose the name to honor St. Francis of Assisi "the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation" This alone makes him my favorite.
HE'S HUMBLE
The list of ways in which the new Pope is truly humble is a long one. He has always opted for simple living quarters and using public transportation and it looks like that may not change much. When he was elected Pope, he flew to Rome in economy class, paid his own hotel bill, and insisted on wearing the old worn out shoes he brought with him from Buenos Aires. Supposedly he also drives himself around the Vatican in a used car and likes to go down to the cafeteria and eat with the local workers. He really is a people's pope!
HE HAS A WILD SIDE
You gotta love a Pope who's lived a little. Before joining the priesthood, Pope Francis worked as a bouncer in a bar and actually had a girlfriend for a bit. He's a big fan of dancing (tango anyone?), soccer, going out for pizza, and dulce de leche cookies from Argentina.
HE'S INTELLIGENT
Before becoming Pope, he taught literature, philosophy, psychology, and theology in Argentina. He's extremely multi-lingual knowing many languages including Spanish, Latin, Italian, German, Portuguese, English, and Ukranian. He also worked as a Chemist before joining the priesthood.
HE SERVES THE POOR
It's easy to care about the poor, but harder to live it out in your everyday. Pope Francis has long embraced the poor and made it a priority to personally serve them. He's known for visiting slums, embracing the homeless, kissing the feet of hospice and AIDS patients, and selling lavish gifts to donate the money to feed the hungry. He even suspended a Catholic Bishop for spending lavishly on his home, sending him to live in a monastery and proposing his luxury house be turned into a soup kitchen to feed the poor. He's emphasized that the church's focus should remain on helping those in need. Can we just all pray for this man? He truly is an admirable Pope!
