New Pope for a New World

Today, the Catholic Church made the decision to modernize and recognize the changing realities of the world. By electing Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis I, as head of the church, the cardinals have shown that they understand the prevalence of the developing world and the need for changes in the papal order. In addition, the support for Pope Francis was magnified by the swiftness of the decision, coming after only 2 days in the fifth round of voting in what was thought to be one of the most wide open papal races in recent memory. The selection of Pope Francis is a crucial one for the church as it moves forward because it gives new hope to members worldwide by thinking outside the box and selecting not only the first Jesuit pope, but also the first from Latin America.

Through his name selection alone, Pope Francis showed that changes would be coming to the Church. By taking the name of St. Francis of Assisi, a man who gave up his wealth and worldly lifestyle in service of the church, Pope Francis shows that he understands that he must continue his goals to improve the developing world in order to restore the honor and stature of the Catholic Church. In a world now defined by a global marketplace and the exchange of goods and ideas across all borders instead of a few solitary superpowers, the Catholic Church has realized that drastic changes were needed in order to stay relevant. The selection of Pope Francis recognizes the growing importance of Latin America, both economically and socially, while symbolizing an upheaval of the status quo.

-Varun Sawhney

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