Who Is Pope Francis and how is the world responding? (rollup)

Your gift counts double until 5/31: $22,953 to go in our Easter Campaign. Please help now!

Click here to advertise on CatholicCulture.org

Who Is Pope Francis and how is the world responding? (rollup)

By Peter Mirus (bio - articles - send a comment) | March 14, 2013 8:58 AM

From Our Store: Making Sense of Society (eBook)

Catholics want to know: who is Pope Francis? What are his views and how will he be likely to govern the Church? This is a rollup of news and commentary on CatholicCulture.org that helps build a picture of our new pope, organized in reverse chronological order. The parenthetical reference after each title denotes either a news story or a commentary by the named writer):

March 29, 2013:

Archbishop Gomez on immigration, Pope Francis, abuse scandal (Catholic World News)

March 28, 2013:

Pope washes feet of prisoners—male and female—at Holy Thursday liturgy (Catholic World News)
Priests fulfill themselves by serving others, Pope tells clergy of Rome (Catholic World News)
Homily at Holy Thursday Chrism Mass: Dissatisfaction Comes from not Going out of Oneself (full text)
Pope appoints succesor in Buenos Aires archdiocese (Catholic World News)
Slight changes to Pope Francis' coat of arms (Catholic World News)

March 27, 2013:

General Audience: Following Jesus Is Learning to Go Out of Ourselves (full text)
Enter Christ's way of thinking during Holy Week, Pope urges public audience (Catholic World News)
Cuban cardinal: Before conclave, Pope Francis challenged Church not be narcissistic (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis' Holy Thursday Mass: Most youth at prison are foreign Muslims (Catholic World News)
Papal plea for peace in Central African Republic (Catholic World News)
In weekday Mass homily, Pope Francis emphasizes forgiveness (Catholic World News)
Rome's public transit lines salute Pope Francis, noted bus rider (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis will 'take possession' of Lateran basilica on April 7 (Catholic World News)

March 26, 2013:

Pope in no hurry to move to Apostolic Palace (Catholic World News)
No media coverage for Pope's Holy Thursday Mass (Catholic World News)
Future Pope Francis emphasized self-accusation of faults by religious (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis' <em>Via Crucis</em> at the Colosseum: full text of meditations (Catholic World News)
Russian Orthodox spokesman: Pope should not encourage Ukrainian Catholics (Catholic World News)
Archbishop Gomez: Pope Francis may weigh in on immigration reform (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis, accompanied by secretary, stops to pray at cemetery, church (Catholic World News)

March 25, 2013:

Pope Francis, Benedict XVI embrace at Castel Gandolfo (Catholic World News
Pope's Palm Sunday message: Find joy in the Cross (Catholic World News)
Pope urges Jesuits to maintain loyalty (Catholic World News)
Papal message to Rome's Jewish community for Passover (Catholic World News)
Pope highlights God's patience with sinful people (Catholic World News)
Nobel Peace Prize winner again defends Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis gives Russian Patriarch's gift to Pope Emeritus Benedict (Catholic World News)
Cardinal Mahony: Pope needs to make new curial appointments 'very soon' (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis and creation: 3 reflections (Catholic World News)
Pope celebrates Mass for Vatican's blue collar workers (Catholic World News)

March 24, 2013:

Pope Francis homily for Palm Sunday (full text)

March 22, 2013:

Pope Francis Address to the Diplomatic Corps (full text)
Pope Francis backs Benedict's stand against relativism (Catholic World News)
Nobel Peace Prize winner defends Pope’s actions during ‘dirty war’ (Catholic World News)
Russian Orthodox Patriarch gives book, icon to Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Report: Guardini a favorite author of Pope Francis, like Pope Benedict (Catholic World News)
Pope invites Argentines to impromptu party (Catholic World News)
Book of future Pope's conversations with rabbi to be published in English in May (Catholic World News)

March 21, 2013:

Kidnapped Jesuit says future Pope Francis was blameless in his Argentine detention (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Thursday Mass in prison in Rome (Catholic World News)
Pope sends greetings to new Archbishop of Canterbury (Catholic World News)
Cardinal Ouellet sees plans for change under Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Washington Post examines future pope's record on sex abuse cases (Catholic World News)
Future pope frequently offered Mass at chapel near bus stop (Catholic World News)

March 20, 2013:

Pope Francis address to fraternal delegates of other churches (full text)
Pope affirms commitment to ecumenism (Catholic World News)
Syria's Christians in peril, Melkite Catholic leader warns Pontiff (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis calls Pope emeritus Benedict with feast-day greetings (Catholic World News)
Pope invites Rome's poor to Holy Thursday Mass (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis is avid soccer fan (Catholic World News)
Leading pro-life congressman reflects on election of Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Cardinal Dolan: Joy, prayers as Pope begins Petrine ministry (Catholic World News)
Obama sends letter to Pope Francis (Catholic World News)

March 19, 2013:

World Youth Day appearance by Pope Francis confirmed, says Brazilian cardinal (Catholic World News)
Vatican explains coat of arms of Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Head of Ukrainian Catholic Church pays tribute to Pope Francis as his mentor (Catholic World News)
Pope Francis celebrates inaugural Mass to begin pontificate (Catholic World News)
Let Us Be "Protectors" of Creation, Not Allowing Omens of Destruction and Death to Accompany Our World's Journey (Pope Francis, homily at inaugural Mass)
Before inaugural Mass, Pope speaks by phone to crowd in Buenos Aires (Catholic World News)

March 18, 2013:

Perceptive commentary: O'Grady, Douthat, Bottum, Allen, Erlandson (Phil Lawler)
Hitler's Pope? The media thought otherwise at the time (Phil Lawler)
Pope renews Curia appointments—for now (Catholic World News)
Cardinal Bergoglio 'completely innocent' of 'dirty war' accusations, says top Argentine judge (Catholic World News)
'All welcome' for Pope's inaugural Mass (Catholic World News)
At first Angelus audience, Pope speaks on God's infinite mercy (Catholic World News)
Argentine President visits Pope, asks for intervention in Falklands (Catholic World News)
Zimbabwe's Mugabe, denounced by country's bishops, plans to attend Pope's inaugural Mass (Catholic World News)
After visit to Roman parish, Pope mixes with crowd outside Vatican (Catholic World News)
How did cardinals choose Pope Francis? First accounts leak from conclave (Catholic World News)
Obama names delegation to Pope's inaugural Mass (Catholic World News)
Archbishop Chaput: Pope Francis’s election is ‘huge benefit for the Church’ (Catholic World News)

March 17, 2013:

Christ's Message is Mercy (Pope Francis' homily for the 5th Sunday in Lent)
If God Didn't Forgive Everyone, the World Would Not Exist (Pope Francis' first Sunday Angelus message)

March 16, 2013:

I Wish for a Church that is Poor and for the Poor (Pope Francis' address to journalists)

March 15, 2013:

When the future Pope spoke about sexual abuse... (Phil Lawler)
The early signs are clear. Pope Francis is a reformer. (Phil Lawler)
Vatican rejects charge that future Pope failed to oppose Argentine military government (Catholic World News)
Never be discouraged, Pope Francis urges cardinals (Catholic World News)
Good Wine that Improves with Age, Let the Old Give Youth the Wisdom of Life (English text of Pope's first address to cardinals)
Pope Francis asks Argentines to give to poor rather than travel to Rome for installation (Catholic World News)
Unprecedented ecumenical gesture: Patriarch of Constantinople will attend Pope's inauguration (Catholic World News)
Argentine cardinal suffers stroke, visited in hospital by Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
‘Rend your hearts’: Lenten message of the future Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Islamic university hopes for dialogue with Vatican under Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Pope sends greetings to Rome's Jewish leader (Catholic World News)
'Cybersquatters' seize domain names linked to Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
Father Fessio, George Weigel laud Pope as ‘old-school Jesuit’; ‘persecuted’ by fellow Jesuits in Argentina? (Catholic World News)

March 14, 2013:

Pope Francis visits Marian basilica, talks by phone with Benedict XVI (Catholic World News)
Pope's public schedule for first days of pontificate (Catholic World News)
American cardinals relieved after conclave (Catholic World News)
Italian bishops' conference congratulates wrong cardinal after conclave (Catholic World News)
President Obama sends greetings to new pontiff (Catholic World News)
Church cannot 'walk without the Cross,' Pope Francis says in first homily as Pontiff (Catholic World News)
To Walk, to Build, to Witness, Always with the Cross of Christ (English text of Pope's first homily at Pro Ecclesia Mass)
US, Canadian bishops welcome election of Pope Francis (Catholic World News)
The future Pope Francis on apostolic courage and the danger of ‘spiritual worldliness’ (Catholic World News)
The future Pope Francis on the Eucharist and Mary (Catholic World News)
The future Pope Francis on the relevance of St. Augustine (Catholic World News)
The future Pope Francis: additional interviews and writings (Catholic World News)
Pope John Paul’s example inspired Pope Francis to pray Rosary daily (Catholic World News)

March 13, 2013:

First Apostolic Blessing, Urbi et Orbi (English text)
Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio elected Pope Francis (Catholic World News)

An appeal from our founder, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus:

Dear reader: If you found the information on this page helpful in your pursuit of a better Catholic life, please support our work with a donation. Your donation will help us reach five million Truth-seeking readers worldwide this year. Thank you!

Easter Campaign:
Progress toward our Spring 2013 goal ($22,953 to go):

$80,000.00 $57,047.50

29% 71%