General News Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected as 266th Roman Catholic pontiff

Eric · Mar 13, 2013

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected as 266th Roman Catholic pontiff

The Roman Catholic church has a new pope: Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Buenos Aires in Argentina, , the first ever to come from South America, who has taken the name Francis.

He was announced to the crowd waiting in St Peter's Square from the vast balcony that runs across the front of St Peter's basilica.

Earlier, white smoke had flowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, signalling that one of the candidates for the pontificate had obtained the necessary two-thirds majority for election. The fumata bianca– the white smoke signal that marks the successful conclusion of a papal conclave – arrived after five ballots on the second day of voting.

The smoke that poured out of the comignolo, the copper and steel chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, was greeted with cries of delight and applause from the crowd below. Soon afterwards, the bells of St Peter's rang out, confirming that the 266th pope had taken over the spiritual leadership of the world's 1.2 billion baptised Catholics.

Inside the Sistine Chapel, after the final vote was cast, the most junior of the cardinals, James Harvey, a former prefect of the papal household, called in the secretary of the college of cardinals, Monsignor Lorenzo Baldisseri, and the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, to witness the new pope's acceptance of one of the most daunting jobs on earth. The most senior of the electors, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, approached the pope-to-be and – in accordance with time-honoured tradition – asked him, in Latin: "Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?"

Having obtained his consent, he will have asked him: "By what name do you wish to be called?" The master of ceremonies, acting as a notary, will then have summoned two of his staff to act as witnesses, and prepared the document that certifies the new pope's acceptance.

Newly elected popes are taken to be robed in the so-called Room of Tears, its name an indication of the reluctance with which most approach the task for which they have been chosen. The last holder of the office, Benedict XVI, introduced a change into the ritual that allows for the new pope to pray before he is announced to the world.
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Dublin Boy · Mar 13, 2013

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Argentina are the most advanced in Latin America, following the legalisation of same-sex marriage, that also includes full adoption rights, on 15 July 2010. Upon legalising gay marriage, Argentina became the first country in Latin America, the second in the Americas, and the tenth in the world to do so.

How will the New Pope be able to defend his own countries Stance on Gay Rights in conflict with the Catholic Church?

Mogget · Mar 13, 2013

What makes you think he will defend it? Cardinals aren't representatives of the government.

Aldrick · Mar 13, 2013

Here are some of the past positions he took, according to the (now constantly updated) Wikipedia entry.

Abortion, euthanasia, and contraception
Cardinal Bergoglio has encouraged his clergy and laity to oppose both abortion and euthanasia. He supports the use of contraception to prevent the spread of disease.

Homosexuality
He has affirmed church teaching on homosexuality. However he has equated the pursuit of their equal rights as the devil's work. He strongly opposed legislation introduced in 2010 by the Argentine Government to allow same-sex marriage, calling it a "real and dire anthropological throwback". In a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote: "Let's not be naïve, we're not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God." He has also insisted that adoption by homosexuals is a form of discrimination against children. This position received a rebuke from Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who said the church's tone was reminiscent of "medieval times and the Inquisition".

Poverty and class equality
In 2009, Bergolio said that extreme poverty and the "unjust economic structures that give rise to great inequalities" are violations of human rights and that social debt is "immoral, unjust and illegitimate." During a 48-hour public servant strike in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio observed the differences between, "poor people who are persecuted for demanding work, and rich people who are applauded for fleeing from justice".
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Dublin Boy · Mar 13, 2013

As a Argentinian these are his fellow Countrymen & Women, they obviously believe in Gay Rights, would he condemn his own people in favour of the church or will he move away from the homophobia of the Catholic church & steer them away, towards being more acceptable?

I guess the above Post answers that

Eric · Mar 13, 2013

Dublin Boy said: ↑

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Argentina are the most advanced in Latin America, following the legalisation of same-sex marriage, that also includes full adoption rights, on 15 July 2010. Upon legalising gay marriage, Argentina became the first country in Latin America, the second in the Americas, and the tenth in the world to do so.

How will the New Pope be able to defend his own countries Stance on Gay Rights in conflict with the Catholic Church?
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He's likened gay couples adopting to child abuse, so I doubt he'll ever defend Argentina. But he wasn't elected as a representative of Argentina, he was elected because a 2/3 majority of the college of Cardinals believe he is the best representative of the Catholic church at this time.

When compared to Catholic orthodoxy over the last 30+ years, he seems to me at least to be a palatable choice for progressives within the church even if he's still conservative. I would have been outraged if Peter Turkson were elected (he defended the "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda), but this is sort of a "meh" choice to me.

Cthulhu · Mar 13, 2013

Meh

Dalmatian · Mar 13, 2013

He's a Roman Catholic cardinal. His mission will be to continue the two thousands years of tradition, not to "defend" or promote the legislation two years old. The Catholic church (i.e. Roman see) is four times as old as European knowledge of the existence of Americas.

Nothing in Rome changes suddenly. It will take a couple of popes more until there are enough cardinals who grew up in an LGBT tolerant society. Then, when such a cardinal gets elected, something can start happening.
Cardinals who are likely to be elected pope usually spend a decade or two as cardinals and a decade or two before that as bishops. They are isolated for far too long.

We will wait for LGBT rights in Catholicism. But it will happen. The question of homosexuality in Catholicism (and Christianity in general) is a question of interpretation, rather than scripture.

Gold Griffin · Mar 13, 2013

Eric said: ↑

I would have been outraged if Peter Turkson were elected (he defended the "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda), but this is sort of a "meh" choice to me.
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I agree with this strongly. Turkson would have been horrible.

In any case, Francis is probably as good as was possible. Anyone more liberal than him would never get the papacy, but plenty of people more conservative could.

Also, from Daily Kos:

You noticed the "fierce opponent of Argentina's decision to [legalize] gay marriage in 2010," didn't you? That's pretty much what you have to expect from a Cardinal of any sort, let alone one with any hope of becoming Pope. Two things about this strike me as especially significant, however:

First, his position was not generated in response to some mild fact of nature, like the mere existence of homosexuality. It came in response to the strongest action that a country could take in this policy domain. In other words, Cardinal Bervoglio didn't go out seeking the fight against a vulnerable enemy, like the rotters in Uganda who want to make homosexual activity a capital offense. He responded to a decisive victory for civil liberties and rights of gays and lesbians by asserting the Church's position. That's not good, in my book, but it's also not Rick Santorum-like. He's entitled to his benighted opinion, and his holding that opinion is not incompatible with coexistence with a "sinful" state. (Catholics also oppose divorce, but they've mostly made peace with it.)

Second, the argument that he made against marriage equality was not, as one might have expected from a Catholic prelate, that homosexuality was an abomination, "go read Leviticus," etc. Instead, it was that having parents of both genders is good for children. This explanation is notable for being (a) non-theological, (b) based on concern for the welfare of children, and (c) wrong -- and, more and more, demonstrably wrong. (Even if right, it's the sort of thing with which a society has to live. We don't take children away from single parents or those whose mother or father die, after all. He thinks it's better; I say "so what?")

You're not going to find a Pope who's going to have favored marriage equality. He could not have become Pope if he did. The next best thing is to find one who opposes on grounds that are scientifically debatable and that can be rebutted. That ought to lead to peaceful coexistence -- and now we'll see if it will.
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Definitely better than the more conservative groups in the church.

Femme · Mar 13, 2013

We could have done much worse.

Dan82 · Mar 13, 2013

the fact that he is the first pope in 913 to choose a unique name is a sign that he is a reformer.

General News Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected as 266th Roman Catholic pontiff

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