On 13 March 2013, the election of the Pope was going on in the Vatican. In four rounds of voting, no candidate got two-thirds of the votes. When the ballots were opened for the fifth time, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who was not even considered a contender before the election, was elected the 266th Pope. This cardinal came to be known as Pope Francis. He is the first Pope who adopted the name Francis. He took this name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who was known for serving the poor. His election was also historic because for the first time in 1300 years a non-European was elected Pope. Apart from this, the election of a Jesuit priest as Pope was also a big thing in itself. Today Pope Francis is no more. Pope Francis died on Monday morning at 7:35 am in the Vatican. In this story, we will know the story of Pope Francis’ life, how a Jesuit priest became Pope, what changes did he bring… Pope Francis was a Jesuit priest, Jesuit means Society of Jesus. St. Ignatius Loyola, who studied at the University of Paris, resolved to establish the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Society) in 1534 along with his friends. In 1540, Pope Paul III approved the establishment of this society. St. Ignatius Loyola formed a group of educated people. These people had only one purpose – to help people in the search of God. St. Ignatius Loyola wanted Jesuit priests to become missionaries who travel around and spread the message of God. They will do good to people wherever there is a possibility. In 1540, this organization had 10 members, which has now increased to more than 15 thousand. Why is it surprising that a Jesuit priest has become the Pope? Jesuit priests take an oath that they will not wish to get a big position in the Roman Catholic Church and will always obey the orders of the Church. Apart from this, Jesuits often clash with the conservative views of the Church due to their progressive views. He often goes beyond Catholic principles on issues like human rights and poverty, so his attitude is considered disrespectful to the church. In some sections of the Catholic community, he has to face allegations of being too liberal. In such a situation, it was a big thing in itself for a Jesuit priest to get the highest post in the Catholic Church. How was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected Pope? On 28 February 2013, the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI, resigned citing his age and health. The election of the next Pope was to be held in March. Till the week of voting, Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s name was also not in the race for the Pope. He was 76 years old and many cardinals had said that they would not vote for any priest above 70 years of age. Apart from this, Bergoglio had come second in the 2005 Pope elections. In such a situation, there was very little possibility that he would be seen as a candidate. But when voting began on 12 March, Bergoglio received a lot of votes in the first time itself. This made him to be seen as a candidate. In the fifth round of voting, Bergoglio got two-thirds of the votes and he was elected Pope on 13 March. Priest Bergoglio became Pope because of his simplicity Before the election of the Pope, Cardinal Angelo Scola of the Italian city of Milan was being seen as a contender to become the Pope. Many priests believed that he could bring big changes in the Pope’s office. And his being from Italy was liked by those priests who wanted a European to become the Pope. Bergoglio continued to perform his duties very peacefully during this time. He did not try to attract people’s attention in any way. This reflected his humility. The priests who voted for him liked this thing very much. Apart from this, Bergoglio was known for his dedication as a priest. He was healthy despite being 76 years old, but after this there was no possibility of him becoming a candidate in the Pope’s election. All these things together became the reason for his election as Pope. On his election as Pope, Cardinal Andre Vingt of France said that Bergoglio may not be from Italy, but his parents were from Italy, so he knows Italian culture and can mingle with it. If there is even the slightest possibility that the Vatican system can be improved, then Bergoglio is the most suitable person for it. Pope Francis’s major decisions 1. On gay people coming to church: Just 4 months after assuming office, the Pope was questioned on the issue of homosexuality. To this, he said, ‘If a gay person is searching for God, then who am I to judge him.’ 2. On blessing same-sex couples: Pope Francis decided to allow gay couples to be blessed in 2023. The Vatican said that this blessing would be a “symbol of God’s mercy and love”, but it would not change the traditional marriage principles of the Catholic Church, which still recognizes marriage between a man and a woman. 2. Religious approval to remarriage: The Pope decided to give more acceptance to divorced and remarried Catholics in the church. Pope Francis said that such people should not be separated from the church. Until now, the Catholic Church used to deprive such people of the holy sacraments. 3. Apologized for sexual abuse of children: Pope Francis publicly apologized in April 2014 on cases of sexual abuse of children in the church. He accepted that some priests of the church sexually abused children. The Pope said that this is a ‘serious sin’ and ‘shameful crime’, for which the church will not only apologize, but will also take concrete steps to stop these crimes. ——————————————– Also read these news related to the death of Pope Francis… Christian religious leader Pope Francis is no more: Died in Vatican at the age of 88; had a serious infection in the lungs and kidneys Catholic Christian religious leader Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. According to the Vatican, the Pope breathed his last at 7:35 am local time today. Pope Francis was the first Latin American Pope in history. He was battling health problems for the past several months. He was hospitalized for 5 weeks in February and March due to a lung infection. Read the full news here… The Pope’s ring will be broken before burial: What does the white smoke mean; The entire process after the death of a Christian religious leader The Pope will be buried in his favorite church, as per his wish. Before this, there is usually a tradition of preserving the Pope’s body. Why do we break the Pope’s ring after his body is put to rest, why does smoke rise from the church during secret voting for the new Pope; you will know the answers to 10 important questions related to his death in Bhaskar Explainer Read here…
