Along with his name, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio will be giving up his humble apartment in Buenos Aires for St. Peter's Basilica and title of Pope Francis I.
As he stood dressed in white during the ceremonial proceedings at the balcony overlooking the crowded square at Vatican City, the 76-year-old son of an Italian immigrant railway worker and now leader of the Catholic Church took in this historic moment with a smile and a wave of his hands to the 1.2 billion faithful Catholics who were eagerly awaiting the end of the conclave.
But who is this man who now bares the weight of the Catholic Church on his shoulders and must safely navigate it through the tumultuous challenges of the 21st century and the sex scandals that have plagued the church?
Born in 1936, Pope Francis I is one of six children raised by an Italian family from Turin that immigrated to Buenos Aires. As a young man he studied to be a chemist but in the late 1950s at the age of 21 he entered the Society of Jesus and pursued the priesthood. Pope Francis I rose threw the church's ranks as he taught literature, psychology, and philosophy early in his career.
During the 1970s he served as the Jesuit provincial in Argentina before in 1980 he became the rector of the very same seminary from which he had graduated. The 1980s was a violent time for Argentina as the South American nation was caught in the middle of political uncertainty and military rule. During this time, Pope Francis I was known for invoking tradition, demanding that Jesuits staff parishes and play the role of chaplains instead of becoming involved in the theological progressive liberalism that was catching on among many church leaders.
Pope Francis I was named auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and in 1998 succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino. While Jesuits are typically suppose to refuse ecclesiastical honors, Pope Francis I became cardinal in 2001 by the order of John Paul II.
He is seen as a man with the character and leadership that can bridge the divide among liberal and conservative factions in the church. But yet his traditional views may be unpopular in a changing world where church attendance is down and gay activists continue their movement for equal civil rights.
Pope Francis I has openly spoken of sexual morality and denounced abortion, same-sex marriage and the use of contraception. In 2010 he came under fire from liberal activists and politicians in Argentina when he remarked that allowing homosexual couples to adopt children was a form of discrimination.
But he is considered to be a champion of the poor, often advocating against what he perceives is the economic injustice of globalization.
"We live in the most unequal part of the world, which has grown the most yet reduced misery the least," Pope Francis I said during a 2007 meeting of church bishops, according to the National Catholic Reporter. "The unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries out to Heaven and limits the possibilities of a fuller life for so many of our brothers."
As an Argentine and a Jesuit, Pope Francis I may be what the church needs as it enters an epoch of continued technological innovation and uncertainty as disparity between Catholic doctrine and the lifestyles of today's youth continues to be at odds. His success will depend on his vitality and if he can deliver the type of charisma that drew young Catholics to Pope John Paul II.
The challenges are immense: falling church attendance, an aging population of faithful practitioners, and sexual molestation crimes that have mired the church in shame and controversy. The traditionalist from Buenos Aires who lead his flock through the tough 1980s in Argentina must now be the first in a vanguard of church leaders who accept responsibility for the recent faults of the church but who will also rejuvenate and revive Catholicism.
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