I am thrilled that there is a non-European Pope. The major centers of Christianity are no longer based in Europe (haven’t been for a long time). There are more Catholics in China than there are people in Ireland. What a great day for our brothers and sisters in South America as they see one of their own installed as the head of the Catholic Church. I love it.
It is true that Pope Francis is the first non-European pope of the modern era, but do you know which country has supplied the most non-European popes? My beloved Syria. There have been six popes from Syria.
(It seems that all news somehow leads me back to Syria these days. I pray that Pope Francis will be a genuine peacemaker especially in the Middle East.)
I just saw the movie “the life of PI”, and I must say it’s one of the most beautiful arguments for faith in a loving God I have ever seen… going back to Syria, all that is happening there is just casting a million arrows in my believing heart, shattering the last shred of faith I have in anything … going back to the Pop, by this vote, the Cardinals are affirming that the catholic church will continue to be stuck in the middle ages through another traditional papacy, as the Pop is known to be a hard liner in social issues.