A few days ago, just on the second day of the conclave and on the fifth ballot, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected 266th Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and 265th Successor. of San Pedro, and has taken the name of Francisco. He is the first pope of Latin America, the first Jesuit pontiff, and the first non-European pope in many centuries.

This new Pope brought many surprises. On the one hand, he didn’t expect the cardinals to elect a new pontiff so quickly, given that they seemed to lack a clear direction in the wake of Pope Benedict’s staggering resignation, and the fact that no cardinal stood out as a clear favorite. entering this conclave. But apparently the cardinal electors had already begun to form a consensus around a particular candidate when they entered the conclave, a candidate they did not speak openly to the media about. That was a tactful move on his part, and a brilliant way of dealing with the media machinery of the modern world that goes to great lengths to influence the election of the next pope. They allowed journalists to focus on their favorite candidates and indulge in their favorite speculations, then pulled the rug off them with the swift choice of a “black horse.” It is obvious that the cardinal electors did not allow the world’s media to influence their decision. That is encouraging, and the cardinal electors deserve our great respect and warm congratulations for doing their duty so well amid difficult circumstances. In electing a Pope, their solemn responsibility is to follow their consciences and vote for the man they feel is best qualified to lead the Church at this particular time. And they have taken that responsibility seriously, thank God.

On the other hand, he did not expect this particular cardinal to be elected to the papacy. I included him in my list of thirty-two papabili because, according to my research, he qualified to be a serious papal candidate; however, I placed him a bit lower on the list (at 20th) because I felt he was a bit risky, mainly due to his age and relative obscurity. I also felt that a Latin American pope was less likely than an Italian or another European. But age, nationality, and familiarity with the general public are only secondary considerations for cardinal electors when electing a new pope.

Also, I wasn’t expecting a Jesuit pope, but I’m delighted to see one anyway. I have great respect for the Jesuits for their high education and their faithful service to the Church throughout the centuries as well as today. They were founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola to be simple but highly trained and loyal servants of the Pope, and were forbidden to accept ecclesiastical honors such as bishop, cardinal, or pope. That is why it is ironic to have a Jesuit who has accepted these three honors. But, of course, it is up to the Pope to appoint bishops and cardinals, and he can bestow these honors on whoever he believes should be bestowed upon them. And it is up to the cardinals to choose a pope and choose the man they believe is best suited for that position. Saint Ignatius perceived that the danger of accepting honors is that they can make men proud and haughty. But despite his great erudition, Jorge Bergoglio is obviously a humble man and has remained so, which is why he was awarded these honors and why it was appropriate that they should have been awarded. He accepted them in humble obedience to the authority of the Church, not out of pride or to advance his ecclesiastical career. Your education as a Jesuit will undoubtedly prove to be a valuable contribution to the papacy and the Church.

And finally, he did not expect the new pope to take a name that no previous pontiff had used. I thought he would call himself Pope John Paul III or Benedict XVII or Paul VII or John XXIV or Pius XIII or something like that. But no, he thinks of Francis. What a beautiful and fitting name, perhaps in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the poor and humble man, and Saint Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary, or perhaps in honor of Saint Francis de Sales, the “Holy Knight of the 16th century.” “

This man was unfamiliar to me; I had never really seen him before his appearance in the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. When he first stepped out onto the balcony, he seemed at first a little distant and reserved, perhaps even a little nervous and fearful, as he stood there almost motionless, in front of the crowds of people who were solemnly cheering in St. Peter’s Square, acknowledging their clap with an occasional slight wave of a hand. He seemed as amazed as we were by the cardinals’ election of a pope. Frankly, I felt a little sorry for him. Like Cardinal Ratzinger before him, he did not want to be elected pope and probably did not even expect it. As he stood there before us, dressed simply in the white papal robes with his pectoral cross, he seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, and in a very real sense he did, because the modern papacy is a tremendous responsibility. His rigid and dignified posture reminded me of the pre-Vatican II pontiffs.

Then when His Holiness began speaking into the microphone, smiling as he warmly greeted the people in Italian, my apprehensions faded and I instantly won over the new Pope. His words of greeting lasted at least a minute, longer than those of the two previous pontiffs. In a thoughtful and respectful gesture, he first turned our attention to his great predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and led us to pray an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for him. I was impressed by how he prostrated himself before the whole world and asked the faithful to pray for God to bless him before giving us his first blessing as our new Shepherd in Christ. When this was done, he added a parting words, saying that he looked forward to seeing people on Sunday and wishing them good night.

This is clearly a man of deep humility, simplicity and deep faith, a man of moderate temperament and even one who also knows how to communicate with an audience through carefully chosen words and meaningful gestures, a man who, I believe, will evangelize the world primarily. through his own powerful example of holiness.

Now that I am getting to know Pope Francis a little better, and who he was as Cardinal Bergoglio, I realize that my first impressions of this man as distant and fearful were inaccurate. This is not a bold and outgoing character like Pope John Paul II or a shy and kind scholar like Pope Benedict XVI. This is a completely different type of man: noble and dignified, reserved and correct, with a calm presence, but nevertheless a man of deep joy, kind and cheerful, who is able to connect with people. He has his own personality and style, and when he stepped onto the world stage as our new Pope, he was more or less just being himself.

I have one thing in particular about this man’s unique personality and style that we spent waiting for him to emerge after the white smoke and official announcement of his choice, and the time he took on the balcony to greet and guide us. in prayer, and how he lingered a moment before leaving. This is a man in no rush. You take your time and feel comfortable doing it. And I think that sends a very significant message to our modern, fast-paced, highly secularized, and materialistic world of the 21st century, in which we are pressured to rush to so many different things, that there is something much more important. than anything else worth not rushing for. It is when we slow down and let go and listen that God can speak to us in the stillness of our hearts. We must have the courage to close ourselves off from time to time to deepen our relationship with God and allow him to direct our lives toward our heavenly goal.

As I continue to observe the papacy, I am learning that each pope is unique and has something special to teach us. Pope John Paul II taught us to be brave and courageous by proclaiming the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Pope Benedict XVI taught us the importance of being correctly formed in our faith and of keeping the liturgy and the Second Vatican Council within the proper context of the rich tradition of the Church. And I believe Pope Francis will teach us how to slow down and listen to the Holy Spirit, as well as how to serve the Lord and one another with simplicity, humility, and charity. It will take a while to get used to his style, but we will get used to it just as we got used to the style of Pope Benedict XVI before him. I am sure that he will do a good job succeeding the two great pontiffs of our time and will continue to lead the Church in the direction that Popes John Paul and Benedict have taken.

We are truly blessed to have Pope Francis as our new Holy Father. May God bless you and help you, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and all the angels and saints, to faithfully fulfill the task that has been entrusted to you in the years to come.