Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

[Guest]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21949118

Pope Francis has decided to shun a grand papal apartment on the top floor of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace in favour of a modest two-room residence.

His spokesman said he was "trying out this type of simple living" in a communal building with other priests.

In doing so he has broken a tradition which is more than a century old.

[SAT]

Re: Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

Special Report: Behind the charm, a political pope

"Jorge is a political man with a keen nose for politics," says Rafael Velasco, a Jesuit priest and former colleague who is now rector of the Catholic University of Cordoba, in central Argentina. "It's not an act, the humility. But it's part of his great capacity to intuitively know and read people."

The first pope from Latin America is also the first Jesuit pope. Like priests from other orders, Jesuits take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, as well as a fourth special vow of obedience to the pope. They also make a promise to refrain from seeking high Church offices.

But Bergoglio rose steadily through the order's leadership posts and beyond, sometimes crossing swords with colleagues and once proving so meddlesome that a Jesuit boss dismissed him from the school where he was teaching. After being named a bishop he climbed through the Church hierarchy itself, rising to lead Argentina's largest archdiocese and eventually being named a cardinal.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...92Q09P20130327

[Guest]

Re: Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

On one hand, it's great that he is conducting himself in this manner. Assuming time marches on and he is not really the last pope (even though we all hope we're out of here soon) it will make it very difficult for his successor to say "Forget him, I want the pomp and splendour. Treat me like a god"

On the other hand, the suspicious side of me wonders if this enormous "likeability" and appeal to the masses doesn't just make him a stronger candidate for false prophet.

[Andy]

Re: Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

On the other hand, the suspicious side of me wonders if this enormous "likeability" and appeal to the masses doesn't just make him a stronger candidate for false prophet.

Precisely!
Sorry, but I can't get past all I read about the Jesuit order and their methodology over the centuries. Many of them were unbelievably deceptive in order to gain trust. One of their chief goals is ecumenicism - uniting all religions under one "god" and this we've already seen in this man. Were he to keep himself distanced from the common-folk like previous guys it would make it far more difficult to reach such groups as the Buddhist, Muslim and even many "Christian" groups. In fact I would submit that most religions have mandates to reach out to the poor in love (I don't know this for a fact, just surmising this). Is this all part of the great deception? I don't claim to say anything about this man's heart - only God can do that. But it sure COULD be what many of us are suspecting.

[Guest]

Re: Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

I totally agree Andy.

[Guest]

Re: Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

Precisely!
Sorry, but I can't get past all I read about the Jesuit order and their methodology over the centuries. Many of them were unbelievably deceptive in order to gain trust. One of their chief goals is ecumenicism - uniting all religions under one "god" and this we've already seen in this man. Were he to keep himself distanced from the common-folk like previous guys it would make it far more difficult to reach such groups as the Buddhist, Muslim and even many "Christian" groups. In fact I would submit that most religions have mandates to reach out to the poor in love (I don't know this for a fact, just surmising this). Is this all part of the great deception? I don't claim to say anything about this man's heart - only God can do that. But it sure COULD be what many of us are suspecting.

If he offers to give away the Vatican's trillions of dollars in holdings, gold, silver, artifacts, art, etc., to the poor then maybe we can see true humility but otherwise, he is just another "clothed in scarlet" possibly getting ready to jump onto the "Beast"?

[Guest]

Re: Pope Francis shuns grand Papal apartment for two rooms

Got this one off a post on facebook..

"MISSIONAL/INCARNATIONAL MOMENT--Pope Francis wii break with tradition and celebrate Thursday's Mass of the Lord's Supper, not at the grand Basilica of St. John Latern, but at the Casal del Marmo Youth Detention Center, including washing the feet of a number of the young offenders!"

Like Andy said, only God knows the heart that is behind these kinds of gestures.