How Jorge chose Francis
Reuters reports in an article “Pope Francis wants Church to be poor, and for the poor”…
“(The Pope) recalled how on Wednesday night, as he was receiving more and more votes in the conclave, the cardinal sitting next to him, Claudio Hummes of Brazil, comforted him “as the situation became dangerous”.
After the voting reached the two-thirds majority that elected him, applause broke out. Hummes, 78, then hugged and kissed him and told him “Don’t forget the poor”, the pope recounted, often gesturing with his hands.
“That word entered here,” he added, pointing to his head.
While the formal voting continued, the pope recalled: “I thought of wars …. and Francis (of Assisi) is the man of peace, and that is how the name entered my heart, Francis of Assisi, for me he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects others.
It was the latest indication that the pope wanted the worldwide Church to take on an austere style.
On the night he was elected he shunned the papal limousine and travelled on a bus with other cardinals. He went to the Church-run hotel where he had been staying before the conclave and insisted on paying the bill.”
Tags: Church, poor, Pope Francis, poverty