Jacology: Pope Francis

(KPLR) – In Thursday’s Jacology, Charles Jaco looks in to Pope Francis’ past to see what the church’s future could look like.

So on his first day in office, the new pope went to a basilica and prayed. No surprise there. He then took a regular Vatican sedan to a hotel in Rome. He went inside, said I need to get my bags and then asked, how much do I owe?  I can only imagine the desk clerk replying, you’re the pope. We figure you’re good for it.

He’s the first Jesuit pope in history. He’s the first non-European since the Middle Ages. He’s the first pope to choose the name of Francis, as in Francis of Assisi. He used to teach psychology. Before his new job, he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He took a pass on the cardinal’s palatial home and lived in an apartment. He took the bus to work.

Add all that together and what’s it mean? It means a new direction for a church that could use one. Pope Francis is a social justice for the poor kind of guy. During his time in Buenos Aires, there was never a hint of the sex abuse scandals and cover-ups we’ve seen in the American church.

It’s not like the new pope is a liberal, though. He opposes gay marriages. He opposes birth control. He opposes women priests’.  Again, no surprise there; but maybe his concern for the poor, the absence of sex abuse scandals and his personal style can pull a lot of Catholics, especially American Catholics, back to a church many had given up on.

I’m Charles Jaco and that’s Jacology.

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Email: charles.jaco@tvstl.com