Pope Francis I
Who is Pope Francis I?
Francis I have been elected the new pope the past 13th of March, 2013 after Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger resigned to the power. He is the first pope being elected that comes from another continent other than Europe. In this case South America. His was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina the 17th of December, 1936 (76 years old) under the name of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Francis I l knows how to speak fluently 6 languages (Spanish, Latin, English, Italian, French and German). His father was Mario Jose Bergoglio who worked as an a counter. His mother was Maria Elena Bergoglio. He studied in the school “Nacional de Educación Técnica N.º 27”. He graduate from it as a scientist, he then worked at a laboratory called “Hickethier-Bachmann”. When he was 21 years old, he realize that he wanted to be a priest, so he started learning and studying to be one. 12 years after he achieve his goal of becoming a priest when he was 33 years old.
The 28 of February 1998 he was elected cardinal of Buenos Aires. After the ex-cardinal Quarricino passed away. He was part of the conclave in 2005 after the pope John Paul II died. In 2013 he win the conclave and was elected pope. This was quite a surprise as no one thought that he could be elected the new pope. After he was elected the Argentinians were really happy with this. Specially the supporters of the football club San Lorenzo, because Francis I is fan and a member of San Lorenzo. In his name San Lorenzo played with the picture of Francis in their t-shirt.
Rodrigo Velarde
The 28 of February 1998 he was elected cardinal of Buenos Aires. After the ex-cardinal Quarricino passed away. He was part of the conclave in 2005 after the pope John Paul II died. In 2013 he win the conclave and was elected pope. This was quite a surprise as no one thought that he could be elected the new pope. After he was elected the Argentinians were really happy with this. Specially the supporters of the football club San Lorenzo, because Francis I is fan and a member of San Lorenzo. In his name San Lorenzo played with the picture of Francis in their t-shirt.
Rodrigo Velarde
His relationship with the Argentinian Government
Pope Francis I was before holding this immensely important charge the Buenos Aires cardinal, also of utter importance. During these last days it has been commented that he had a close relationship with the dictator Videla during the period of "National Reorganisation" (between 1976 and 1981). These commentaries reached the Vatican, which has made a reply: That they have no evidence and that they are incorrect. However, the Vatican isn't the only party of the issue that has pronounced. The main controversy is that if he really did all to protect his colleagues Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics when they were kidnapped by Governmental Forces when they were working in the so-called "villas miseria", shanty towns.
The facts are that the two Jesuit priests disappeared for six months and after surviving those inhuman tortures left their role as priests. Bergoglio confessed that he once had a reunion with Videla so that he would release his colleagues, but many assume he didn't do anything else. The Church was an accomplice of the crimes against Human Rights in that regime, but also had martyrs, such as four priests that were killed in the slaughter at Santa Cruz the 4th of July, 1976. Nevertheless, the pilots of the "death flights" were confessed after they landed and after the victims of the dictatorship were thrown to the sea and never seen again. Bergoglio declared as a witness in Videla's last trial in 2010, but never declared being guilty nor the court proved that. After the institution of Pope Francis as head of the Catholic Church, Francisco Jelics pronounced and said that he was never given to the regime by Bergoglio, but that false information had came to the headquarters and he and Yorio were arrested. Bergoglio and him met in a reunion in 2000 and marked their re encounter with a hug.
As Buenos Aires Cardinal he didn't have a great relationship with the ex-President Néstor Kirchner neither his widow, the current President, Cristina Fernández. In 2004, the couple broke the tradition of assisting to the Te Deum in the Cathedral. This tense relationship with Bergoglio is the resultant of many factors. Since 2004 they have been promoting the trials against the people involved in Videla's dictatorship, including the Cardinal. Moreover, he disagrees with the Government's position on gay marriages and abortion, saying that these examples show the society's degradation. He is a great critic of the corruption in the politic class of Argentina, corruption, drug trafficking and the economic issues that are being a problem for the country. For example, Bergoglio supported the farmers when in 2008 Fernández de Kirchner made a resolution to have more control in the exporting of products such a soy bean, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds.
It is clear that Pope Francis I will not make anything to gain allies, because as seen with the Argentinian Government, he has principles and will not yield against powerful political enemies. He is a polemic man and will criticize and support what he thinks. Although there are doubts about his work during the dictatorship, there is no proven evidence supporting the commentaries about him being an accomplice of the violations of Human Rights.
Rodrigo Pareja
The facts are that the two Jesuit priests disappeared for six months and after surviving those inhuman tortures left their role as priests. Bergoglio confessed that he once had a reunion with Videla so that he would release his colleagues, but many assume he didn't do anything else. The Church was an accomplice of the crimes against Human Rights in that regime, but also had martyrs, such as four priests that were killed in the slaughter at Santa Cruz the 4th of July, 1976. Nevertheless, the pilots of the "death flights" were confessed after they landed and after the victims of the dictatorship were thrown to the sea and never seen again. Bergoglio declared as a witness in Videla's last trial in 2010, but never declared being guilty nor the court proved that. After the institution of Pope Francis as head of the Catholic Church, Francisco Jelics pronounced and said that he was never given to the regime by Bergoglio, but that false information had came to the headquarters and he and Yorio were arrested. Bergoglio and him met in a reunion in 2000 and marked their re encounter with a hug.
As Buenos Aires Cardinal he didn't have a great relationship with the ex-President Néstor Kirchner neither his widow, the current President, Cristina Fernández. In 2004, the couple broke the tradition of assisting to the Te Deum in the Cathedral. This tense relationship with Bergoglio is the resultant of many factors. Since 2004 they have been promoting the trials against the people involved in Videla's dictatorship, including the Cardinal. Moreover, he disagrees with the Government's position on gay marriages and abortion, saying that these examples show the society's degradation. He is a great critic of the corruption in the politic class of Argentina, corruption, drug trafficking and the economic issues that are being a problem for the country. For example, Bergoglio supported the farmers when in 2008 Fernández de Kirchner made a resolution to have more control in the exporting of products such a soy bean, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds.
It is clear that Pope Francis I will not make anything to gain allies, because as seen with the Argentinian Government, he has principles and will not yield against powerful political enemies. He is a polemic man and will criticize and support what he thinks. Although there are doubts about his work during the dictatorship, there is no proven evidence supporting the commentaries about him being an accomplice of the violations of Human Rights.
Rodrigo Pareja
Vatileaks
The Vatileaks scandal is a problem that involves confidential documents of the Vatican being published on the internet. Information about the ex-Pope Cardinal Ratzinger were being seen by everyone like his routine every morning or what he haves for breakfast. This scandal first started in January 2012 in an Italian television programme. Many personal letters to the pope and his closest associates had been introduced in the Italian media and the book of Gianluigi Nuzzi called Sua Santità. This problem started in the era of Benedict XVI and now the new pope, Francis I, will have to face it. The name Vatileaks comes from the webpage Wikileaks, and organization that provided information to people about leaked information of media workers.
Vatileaks involves problems of struggles and supposed acts of corruption from the part of the Vatican and now Pope Francis I have to deal with it. The Vatileaks were sold by the Cardinal Ratzinger’s butler (Paolo Gabrielle), that is the reason he was stopped, condemned and then forgiven.
Andre Castle
Vatileaks involves problems of struggles and supposed acts of corruption from the part of the Vatican and now Pope Francis I have to deal with it. The Vatileaks were sold by the Cardinal Ratzinger’s butler (Paolo Gabrielle), that is the reason he was stopped, condemned and then forgiven.
Andre Castle
Child Molesters
This graph is based on the data collected on the John Jay Report, which was sustained by the study of 10667 allegations against 4,392 priests between 1950 and 2002, in the Catholic Church of USA. Child molesters are a very delicate theme which seems to come hand to hand with the Catholic Church. Never the less Pope, Francis I seem to have the idea of eradicating this problem from the roots. Back in 2012, when he was Cardinal of Buenos Aires, he said on an interview that a bishop asked him for advice in this specific theme; "I told him to take away the priests' licenses, not to allow them to exercise the priesthood any more, and to begin a canonical trial in that diocese’s court."
In that same interview the actual pope said that he supported his now predecessor, "Zero tolerance for that crime" and added "we must never turn a blind eye", "You cannot be in a position of power and destroy the life of another person." Never the less, Pope Benedict XVI had being attacked by criticism, because when he became archbishop of Munich he faced allegations of abusing of children, by the Catholic clergy. Then again critics attacked during the time that he was Pope, saying that during the time he was archbishop he had helped to cover cases of child abuse. Never the less we have seen the Vatican spokesman deny the allegations. As well many of the actions that Joseph Ratzinger took seemed to deny the allegations as well, like the card he sends to the Catholics in Ireland.
Let’s hope that the actual Pope means what he is saying and that he takes drastic measures against child molesters. Let’s hope, that Pope Francis I, will achieve tackling this problem changing the Vatican's traditional methods of handling child sex abuse by priest.
Card to Catholics in Ireland: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20100319_church-ireland_en.html
Vittorio Arrese
In that same interview the actual pope said that he supported his now predecessor, "Zero tolerance for that crime" and added "we must never turn a blind eye", "You cannot be in a position of power and destroy the life of another person." Never the less, Pope Benedict XVI had being attacked by criticism, because when he became archbishop of Munich he faced allegations of abusing of children, by the Catholic clergy. Then again critics attacked during the time that he was Pope, saying that during the time he was archbishop he had helped to cover cases of child abuse. Never the less we have seen the Vatican spokesman deny the allegations. As well many of the actions that Joseph Ratzinger took seemed to deny the allegations as well, like the card he sends to the Catholics in Ireland.
Let’s hope that the actual Pope means what he is saying and that he takes drastic measures against child molesters. Let’s hope, that Pope Francis I, will achieve tackling this problem changing the Vatican's traditional methods of handling child sex abuse by priest.
Card to Catholics in Ireland: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20100319_church-ireland_en.html
Vittorio Arrese