ARGENTINA: Argentine faithful gather for mass in Buenos Aires to celebrate their homegrown pontiff on his first anniversary as head of the Rroman Catholic Church

Record ID: 447931

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Argentine faithful gather for mass in Buenos Aires to celebrate their homegrown pontiff on his first anniversary as head of the Rroman Catholic Church
  • Date: 14th March 2014
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MASS FAITHFUL LEAVING MASS
  • Embargoed: 29th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA9KU19UTPYXBWQR6498LX0K07X
  • Story Text: Argentine faithful gathered in Buenos Aires' Metropolitan Cathedral on Thursday (March 13) to mark the first anniversary of homegrown Pope Francis as head of the Roman Catholic Church.
    Known by many locals as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis comes from a humble background. Born into a middle-class family of seven, his father an Italian immigrant railway worker and his mother a housewife, the former Buenos Aires bishop was remembered for his moving sermons.

    "Those who know (Pope Francis) here know him well for his love of the scriptures, preaching their messages in simple and direct speech. This is the start of his moral teaching and the source from which the merciful and tender father to his children was discovered," said Cardinal Mario Poli.
    Since his election, Francis has promoted the idea of a more humble Church focused on the needs of the poor, winning huge popularity and raising expectations that it would soften its rules on such issues as contraception, cohabitation, sacraments for the divorced who remarry, and gay relationships.
    Cardinal Poli praised the Pontiff's message of an all-inclusive church.

    "Finally, (Pope) Francis is passionate about his mission, he does not talk about preaching the new evangelisation, announcing and bringing the salvation of God to our world, how it is, its arrival in life and the need for answers that give hope and to walk in the path (of God), he tells us. The church needs to be the place of free mercy, where everyone feels welcome, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live a good life according to the gospel," he added.
    Although a conservative theologically, Francis, 76, is known for his concern for the poor and is expected to bring a radical change of style to the Church leadership, indicated by his choice for the first time of the name of St Francis of Assisi, who died in 1226 after living a life of poverty and simplicity.
    Francis and his top aides are spending the week on a spiritual retreat in the relatively simple building of a religious institution in the town of Ariccia, in the Alban Hills about 24 km (15 miles) away from the Vatican.
    The pontiff's decision to retreat in Ariccia marks the first time in living memory that the pope has held a retreat outside the Vatican.
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