There are unconventional concerns within the midst of Pope Francis’ governance as the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic world. Pope Francis was reported to being elected as the 266th pope with St. Peter being popularly known as the first . The defiance to tradition was observed to be immediately exhibited right after Pope Francis’ election when he appeared before the crowd at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica wearing very simple white vestments . Various reports have disclosed other actions that allegedly breaks tradition include: choosing “ to live in an apartment rather that the archbishop’s palace, passed on a chauffeured limousine, took the bus to work and cooked his own meals” . Likewise, other news articles have noted the Pope to go down from his Popemobile to greet the sick, kiss toddlers, invite a boy with Downs Syndrome to ride with him in his official vehicle, and even refused sending a small boy away when he was embraced while giving a speech . His actions have generated diverse reactions from the media, ordinary citizens, and from his official guards. The current discourse hereby explores the impact of diverse defiance to traditions through expounding on these and determining the rationale, as well as the impact of the change in serving the Pope’s ultimate aim as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
One of the most observable changes in Pope Francis’ reign is his advocacy to simplicity. Through wearing the simple white papal cassock, Pope Francis did away with the elaborately sophisticated red vestments donned by his predecessors, including Pope Benedict XVI . However, research disclosed the historical origin and symbolism of red and white as the official colors of papal vestments. As revealed, “ the pope wears the red mantle not because it is an imperial symbol, but rather because it is an article of clothing whose colour refers to the martyrdom of Christ. But the white colour of the pope’s cassock also refers to Christ. Indeed William Duranti maintains that white is a symbol of innocence, of Christ’s innocence” . Therefore, Pope Francis’ preference for wearing white could be construed as symbolizing his preference for projecting an image of innocence, simplicity, and humility.
Another marked defiance to tradition in Pope Francis reign as Supreme Pontiff is his living accommodations. Reports disclosed that “ Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him” . The reason for the the preference was allegedly explained by Pope Francis to include leading the same lifestyle that he was accustomed to. He was apparently noted to have remarked that living in Casa Santa Marta would continue to provide him with the privilege of interacting with diverse kinds of people, from priests, bishops, and lay people, who he considers as part of a family. The decision received various reactions, including anticipating security issues, as well as the ability of the Casa Santa Marta to receive greater volumes of people who want to see Pope Francis in his daily routine.
Concurrently, aside from conduct and behavior exhibited by Pope Francis that allegedly broke papal traditions, the Supreme Pontiff had recently disclosed remarks that were noted to apparently counter Catholic doctrines. These remarks included issues on homosexuality
and the creation of the world . According to Akin, the Pope’s remarks on homosexuality requires a greater understanding of what he really meant and not what others think or opined regarding apparent insinuations that “ gay is okay” . As emphasized, Akin clarified matters to assert that the Pope actually remarked that “ he does not think he is in a position to judge them and that they should not be marginalized. He also says that the mere tendency (same-sex attraction) ‘ is not the problem,’ and that ‘ they’re our brothers’” (1). On the issue on the creation of the world, some journalists apparently seemed to magnify the Pope’s remarks in terms of “ favoring evolution and the Big Bang Theory (which) led to rampant media coverage claiming that the pontiff is embracing a newfound and ‘ progressive’ mentality” . Hallowell further qualified that the remarks of Pope Francis actually stressed that the “ evolution and God’s role in sparking creation are not incompatible concepts” (1). From these arguments, it could be deduced that some of the controversial issues stem from personal opinions and interpretations of critics or papal analysts. The explanations actually justified that the Pope’s experience and expertise in Catholic doctrines provide innovative insights that justify their applications in contemporary settings and situations. Thus, his profound insights on familiar issues, such as homosexuality or God’s role in the creation of the world, could have been construed as radical or unconventional.
In retrospect, the current discourse effectively presented an exploration of the impact of Pope Francis’ diverse defiance to traditions through providing explanations for their rationales and the effect in serving the ultimate goal as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. Through exhibiting a simple lifestyle, the Pope has actually exuded charisma which enhanced his appeal to a wider range of people. His living in ordinary accommodations added to his appeal as a leader of the Catholic faith who wanted to transform the Pope’s image from being someone isolated and iconic to being more of a people-loving Catholic leader. These strategies actually work to enable him to be more effective in touching and transforming the lives of others. Despite criticisms and the apparent controversial nature of his defiance to traditions, Pope Francis actually applies effective leadership theories to ensure that he leads millions of Catholics globally into living a life of simplicity and service. Through becoming an effective role model, Pope Francis seems to break religious traditions and papal protocols; but in fact, he uses these approaches as means of emotional appeal, deemed to be more effective in transforming the Catholic world for the better.
Works Cited
Akin, Jimmy. ” 7 things you need to know about what Pope Francis said about gays.” 29 July 2013. National Catholic Register. 19 December 2014
Bagliani, Agostino Paravicini. ” The Origin and Symbolism of the Pope’s Attire.” n. d. Eternal Word Television Network. 19 December 2014
Carter, C. J., H. Messia and R. A. Greene. ” Pope Francis, the pontiff of firsts, breaks with tradition.” 14 March 2013. CNN World. 19 December 2014
” Compare Popes.” 2014. popes. findthedata. 19 December 2014
Hallowell, Billy. ” Pope Francis’ Claims About God and Evolution Spark Major Debate — but Here’s Why Some Are Lambasting the Media.” 30 October 2014. The Blaze. 19 December 2014
Pygas, Mark. ” I Knew Pope Francis Was Good, But When I Found Out Everything He Did in 2013, I Was Blown Away.” 2013. distractify. 19 December 2014
The Associated Press. ” Pope Francis’s 1st mass shows simpler style of papacy.” March 2013. cdc. ca. 19 December 2014
Wooden, Cindy. ” Pope of the People: Pope Francis to live in Vatican guesthouse, not papal apartments.” 2009. The Catholic Telegraph. 19 December 2014
Works Cited
Bagliani, Agostino Paravicini. ” The Origin and Symbolism of the Pope’s Attire.” n. d. Eternal Word Television Network. 19 December 2014
Carter, C. J., H. Messia and R. A. Greene. ” Pope Francis, the pontiff of firsts, breaks with tradition.” 14 March 2013. CNN World. 19 December 2014
” Compare Popes.” 2014. popes. findthedata. 19 December 2014
Pygas, Mark. ” I Knew Pope Francis Was Good, But When I Found Out Everything He Did in 2013, I Was Blown Away.” 2013. distractify. 19 December 2014
The Associated Press. ” Pope Francis’s 1st mass shows simpler style of papacy.” March 2013. cdc. ca. 19 December 2014
