And his name is . . . Francis
(Jorge Bergoglio)
Thanks be to God!
Update: Some say it might refer to Francis Xavier, since the new Holy Father is a Jesuit, but I don’t think so, because he would just have taken F.X. as his name.
If it is taken after St. Francis of Assisi, which it almost surely it, that is just A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!
Mary Victrix 
I heard it said, “Francis!, Rebuild My Church!”
God is good.
So, Father, what exactly is the “crossroads” that the Church is at, that I keep hearing news commentators talking about? Hell or Heaven?
I also hope it is Saint Francis of Assisi, but regardless, Awseome! Thanks be to God.
By the way, the commentors at Rorate Caeli are cutting on themselves right now. I know it’s a fault to relish the plight of others, but I just can’t help myself. It’s a festive day.
All my love and prayers for Pope Francis!
In Christ,
Marian
Steve – it is truly telling to see the scathing remarks of so many on Rorate Caeli about the new Holy Father. These people who identify themselves as “Traditionalists” are even going so far as to be glad that he’s 76 (implying that he might have a short pontificate) and wondering if it’s too soon for him to retire. To me this shows just how shallow their faith is — how they are rooted in tradition and revolve their lives around the TLM. They are so selfish, thinking that they will now be deprived of this form of liturgy, as if that is the most important thing and everything hinges on making the TLM widely available. They are so deceived. They had already elected themselves as Pope, and are indignant that the Church has screwed things up by not recognizing this.
Yea, well… If they didn’t have something to complain about they would have nothing to say. I think I’ll let the kids break the lenten fast tonight and eat ice cream to celebrate Habemus Papam!
St Francis Borgia as well? That St Francis being a fellow Jesuit to Pope Francis and all. But then why not both, just as Pope Benedict recalled St Benedict and Pope Benedict XV, and Blessed John Paul II recalled Popes John XXIII and Paul VI and John Paul I?
@morningstarmeadows
Let’s get one thing clear. These guys aren’t rooted in the TLM. Loyal and faithful traditionalists are not responsible for these guys anymore than those attending the Ordinary Form are for the clown mass idiots or those whose liturgical abuses could fill an encyclopedia…. in one Mass.
They are a minority of 3% of Catholics, 5% of those who read blogs.
What Kevin has said makes some sense. It inspired a bit of an essay. It’s not intended to be preachy. I’m just looking for reassurance.
Is the Church really divided into factions that those who love what we have received through the working of the Holy Spirit through the centuries can only see the Church through the eyes of discontinuity, or that those who emphasize the post-Vatican II magesterium have animosity toward those who love and hold fast to what we have received? I celebrated the election of the Pope with joy. Most of what I have learned is reassuring. Yet I am concerned by some of the reports contained in the rorate-caeli archives. I’ve found rorate-caeli generally accurate throughout the years. Still, they were very wrong to post that article. It served to provide animosity toward the Pope right off the bat from those who should be his most loving sheep of all. I am one of the ones who suddenly felt doubts after reading rorate-caeli. I have searched and searched for reassurance, but can only find it in prayer and trust.
If it is true, as it is stated numerous times there, that Pope Francis has resisted the implementation of Summorum Pontificum or that he himself personally does not celebrate the New Mass in a fashion of continuity, then I think it doesn’t bode well for the continuation of Benedict’s hermeneutic of continuity or for the reform of the reform. I discovered the Older Rite in 2003, when I was 17. It transformed my life. That is where Jesus guided me and transformed; that is where I was imbued with the Holy Spirit. That is where discovered that Faith does not only mean doctrinal orthodoxy, but faith is a way of life governed by obedience. It is the most beautiful and precious access to God I have in my life, aside, of course, from interior faith, hope, and charity.
In the next few months, I think we will learn a lot by what the Pope does in the Liturgies. If the Guido Marini reform is undone, it will signal that the Pope does not believe the reconcilation in the heart of the Church that Benedict spoke about is truly necessary and beneficial to the Church. As I’ve been reading through things the Pontiff said, did, and wrote while a Cardinal, I have found mostly a lively faith, but then also things that have concerned me: a direct and dismissing criticism of traditionalists (when traditionalists at least around here are filled with joy, faith, and love of God), a quip about not wishing to be turned into the Holy Office or the Inquisition (when the problem in the Church hardly seems to be to be too heavy handed a CDF), a criticism of clericalism (when I think one of the problems in the Church is that clerics are not really acting like those “set apart”), an encouragement for lay people to administer the Eucharist in the public square (when the administration of the sacrament is connected with the offering of it in the hands of the one “in persona Christi capitis”, and is therefore only permitted to laypeople in true cases of necessity), a few terms that make me wonder if he appreciates or sees any place for the regalia, vestments, and solemnity with which the Church has enriched and emphasized the dignity of the Mass and the Papacy. Even the fact that he came out dressed in a simple cassock with a cross that did not strike me as a work of art made me wonder how long it will be before he revolutionizes the Papal Liturgies.
It wouldn’t take a revocation of Summorum Pontificum to effectively nullify it. It would take a declaration of rupture to restore the idea that V-II (which I read regularly) is a super-council, an event that is the sole or major reference for understanding and reinterpreting the Church in the modern day. The Benedict Pontificate was marked by a Ecclesia Dei commission that stood up for the rights of Catholics to worship in the inherited rites. The whole Church knew that the Pope was behind it. Benedict taught and demonstrated by his actions continuity. This provided a lot of protection for the Traditional Mass and people like me. All the Pope would have to do to undo that protection is signify that the Holy See is not willing to stand up for the traditional rites and preach a few homilies with frequent references to Vatican II advocating a spirit of major reform.
Would the Pope ever do either of these things? I hope not. It would be very difficult and painful for some of us who love the Church if he did.
I honestly don’t know what I would do without the Traditional Roman Mass. It has became the third greatest love of my life, after the Blessed Trinity, Mary, and the Saints, and the Holy Catholic Church.
Once again, I have no yet to think the Pope will nullify the project of continuity and ecclesial healing that Benedict started. I’m not trying to smear the Pope. I’m merely trying to indicate that some of these concerns may be fully valid. No one but God has the right to judge a reigning Pope, so that’s not an issue for me. My duty is to love the Pope, pray for him, and support him. But I hope, pray, and year that this Pontificate might continue the restoration of all things in Christ that Benedict spoke of and conducted. I hope, pray, and long that this might be a pontificate in continuity with that of Benedict.
I have watched encore presentations three times already. I think his words to the faithful were absolutely beautiful. One thing that struck me was how happy the other cardinals looked. What an exciting time for our Church!
In Christ,
Marian
Joseph,
I’d honestly suggest that they aren’t the accurate source you think they are. Do they have some good things? Sure. Yet are those like “New Catholic” basically SSPX partisans, who have been shilling for a group not in union with Rome from the time he first started blogging? You bet.
He knew exactly what he was doing. He was ginning up outrage against the Pope on the day of his election. All the walking it back doesn’t change that fact. Most of the people who were disgusted by their actions (and outside of their website it is not only the majority of catholics, but the majority of traditionalists) aren’t blind optimists.
Do I think that this pope will view the liturgy 100% like Pope Benedict? Probably not. Do I think that will matter? not as much as one might think. The seminaries are full of young men who do have a love of liturgical tradition, and the Latin Mass is full of young priests celebrating it properly, and they are thriving. This kind of action can’t be undone overnight.
Yet if this pope starts emphasizing the need of priests to have greater humility, to stop being so obsessed with material wealth, and to live more in line with their priestly calling (something he has been known to do back in argentina), there’s a lot someone who can like the liturgical reform can work with there. If he undertakes a reform of the curia that removes certain curial officials who resisted Pope benedict, and are people a lot of traditionalists aren’t particularly fond of, we take the win, even if he isn’t doing it for the same reasons we are.
In the end, the word of God survived in israel after King Mannaseh was so efficient at destroying the faith people had no clue what the word of God even was after 40 years. We aren’t eve in remotely the same territory here, and there’s just an equal chance he could be a new Josiah. Let’s see what happens first before worrying, hmm?
Ave Maria!
We received a note of the new Holy Father’s name during the sermon of our 7pm Mass yesterday – just on time to include it in the Eucharistic Prayer.
Viva Papa Francisco!
Bro. Solanus Ma., F.I.
Stoke-on-Trent, England.
Fr. Angelo, I agree with you! It’s awesome that the Pope has choose Francis as his name. It was after St. Francis of Assisi. One of the things that makes me realise that was that he said many times the word fratelança (= brotherhood). Actually St. Francis would preach about fraternity (fratelança).
Fr. Angelo, Vatican’s channel on Youtube has published a video with the first words of the Pope Francis. We can hear he saying the word “fratellanza” (=fraternity, brotherhood). He also said “accoglienza” (welcoming and acolhida in portuguese). It’s a word that refers to fratellanza too.
Francesco: “Cominciamo questo cammino, Vescovo e popolo”
Father, as the Pope has choosen Francis as his name, Let me share with you and your readers a video of the film Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna (Brother Sun and Sister Moon) that is about St. Francis’ life. I think this movie expresses (shows) so beautifully St. Francis’ love for poverty and for nature because of God.
Fratello Sole Sorella Luna / Brother Sun Sister Moon(1972)
Bravo, Fr. Zuhlsdorf! He sees what’s going on with some of the Traditionalists, and he’s put his foot down that he isn’t going to allow any pope bashing!
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/03/what-is-that-banana-peal-doing-on-my-sidewalk/
The Vatican you tube channel has now added video of the Pope’s first Mass
http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican?feature=watch
In Christ,
Marian
Fr. Angelo, it looks like it was St. Francis Assisi after all! I can see you smiling from here. 🙂