Pope completes installation with emotional Rome mass

[onehandle]

Source: AFP



Pope Francis on Sunday completed his installation as pontiff at an emotional ceremony in which he formally took possession of Rome's St John Lateran basilica -- the official seat of the city's bishop.

The pope was driven around the square in front of the basilica in an open-topped car with a crowd of thousands chanting "Long live the pope!" and one group holding up a banner reading: "We Love You!"

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics smiled and kissed children held up to him by members of his security detail, taking off his white skullcap because of the strong wind.

Latin America's first pontiff spoke to and embraced one-by-one a long line of elderly and disabled people in wheelchairs in emotional scenes that drew rounds of applause from the congregation.

Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pope-addresses-100-000-pilgrims-st-peters-square-101943542.html

[hrmjustin]

1. Most people don't realize that St John Lateran is the popes actual Cathedral where his

throne is located.

[Beacool]

2. I like this Pope.

I never cared for Benedict.

"Latin America's first pontiff spoke to and embraced one-by-one a long line of elderly and disabled people in wheelchairs in emotional scenes that drew rounds of applause from the congregation."

Although I worry for his safety. He likes to be with the people and I fear that someone may do to him what they did to John Paul II.

[Aristus]

3. I like him, in spite of his homophobic views.

He seems to embody Jesus' admonition that "he who would be first must be servant of all."

Jesus told a loving, respectful parable about a good Samaritan, at a time when the Samaritans were despised outcasts. If people like the Pope could just read 'gay' for 'Samaritan', the views of the Church might begin to change for the better.

[TrogL]

4. Has he spoken on LGBT issues since becoming pontiff?

I'm expecting surprises.

[Katashi_itto]

13. Agree, he's been very quiet. I think he is planning alot of changes.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. His Cardinals have been on full tilt anti gay attack tours

his silence about that indicates that the Cardinals are doing what he asked of them. Dolan does the talk shows to spew venom at gay people so Francis can dress up in robes and go play ritual games. They are one voice,one hierarchy, if Francis did not approve of the hate mongering it would cease rather than increase.
He has in the past said gay people are an 'attack on God' and that adoption by gay couples is 'discrimination against children'. He has the arrogance to speak of protecting children while running an organization that has deep legal and spiritual problems from doing harm to children. Hypocrisy is a vile thing.

[Katashi_itto]

16. "His" Cardinals? You really dont get the fact that there are

multiple political factions within the church. New Pope having to deal with entrenched power structures. You can label it all you want, it doesnt change the fact that there are polictical hurdles to deal with.

[freshwest]

5. I read the link - did he talk English, Latin, italian or something else? Just curious.

It's nice that all the disabled people were made to feel welcome there. And I hope he gets his work done.

[No Vested Interest]

6. I get the impression that he

doesn't speak English.
Spanish, Italian, & Latin for sure.
May know a little of other language but not comfortable speaking them, especially since he like to speak extemporaneously.

[freshwest]

17. Thanks, I was wondering the UK piece was literal or translated. Although I'm sure that the reporters

in Europe all speak more than one language, as more than one language was mandatory in school among the people I know there. At least it used to be mandatory they take one or more non-native languages. And all of them I know are fluent in more than one.

[No Vested Interest]

18. Today most European students study English

as a second language as that has become the dominant language in communications and the sciences.
That was not the norm in Pope Francis's days as a student.

[freshwest]

19. Thanks for that info. I'm very grateful that others take up ESL and tell me about their lives abroad

and consider it to be a great gift to us here in America.

[Franker65]

7. We needed a younger more adventurous pope

Washing prisoners feet and saying mass isn't going to change anything....

[Hekate]

10. Saying mass is his JOB. It's what priests DO. As for washing feet of any description...

... it is done in imitation of Christ, and is supposed to evoke humility and love (caritas).

However, until this pope came along, the only feet any pope ever washed were priestly feet, because of their not-so-humble status and because (according to them) the disciples were all men (there was a bit of rewritten history, but that's a story for another time).

What makes Pope Francis's action special -- even scandalous to some conservatives -- is that he went to a prison (gasp) and even worse, included two young women (oh, the horror) one of whom is a Muslim (saints preserve us and pass the smelling salts).

He is announcing that the world has changed, and he is demonstrating it by his own actions.

I'm staying tuned for further developments.

[Hekate]

8. KnR. So far so good with this one --I am hoping for good things

I notice he's still wearing white instead of those fancy outfits the previous pope liked so much.

[Phillip McCleod]

9. i'll wait until he actually *does* something positive..

..so far he could be any politician pandering to his constituency.

[Hekate]

11. He's already doing so. See my post #10.

[CountAllVotes]

12. I'm rather impressed with pope Francis I

This man has a very interesting background. He was a psychology/chemistry major in college and went on to obtain his Master's degree in chemistry. He taught chemistry at a university in Argentina and from there he decided to go into the seminary and become a priest.

He's been at this for a long time and working very hard.

He is no doubt a very smart man and I am seeing some small changes at the Church in some positive ways.

He's only been at this job for a few weeks so it is difficult to know what else he will do but so far he is far more impressive to me than than Benedict could have ever been.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. We forgive you, Francis

I'm sure he is a good man who simply does not understand what his actions do to others, each day I ask that such people be forgiven, for they know not what they do, and they don't know much else either. May the harm they do be minimized and quickly brought to an end.