1. He spoke out against frivolous spending by the Church
Source: catholic-ew.org.uk
Source: catholic-ew.org.uk
The
average set of cardinal’s clothes costs as much as $20,000. In October,
Pope Francis urged officials to dress more modestly and to not squander
such money. In the same month, he ordered a German bishop to explain
how he had spent $3 million on a marble courtyard.
2. He invited a boy with Downs Syndrome for a ride in the Popemobile
During a general audience, Pope Francis invited Alberto di Tullio,
a 17-year-old boy with Downs Syndrome, to ride in his Popemobile while
thousands watched. The boy and his father were said to be "chocked up" when he was embraced by the Pope.
3. He embraced and kissed Vinicio Riva
November saw Pope Francis embrace Vinicio Riva, a man scarred by a genetic disease. Fighting agonising pain on a daily basis, such an act restored the faith of a man who says he is often mocked in public.
4. He denounced the judgment of homosexuals
Pope
Francis has stated several times that the Church has no right to
interfere spiritually in the lives of gays and lesbians. Though Francis
maintained the right of the Church to express opinions on homosexuality,
he believed that Christians should not judge or ridicule. This led to
The Advocate, a gay rights magazine, naming Francis the 'single most
influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.'
5. He held a major ceremony at the chapel of a youth prison
In March, the Pope held a major Holy Week service at Casal del Marmo jail for
minors, rather than the Vatican. During the service, the pope washed
and kissed the feet of 12 young offenders to commemorate Jesus' gesture
of humility towards his apostles on the night before he died. During the
service, he broke tradition by washing the feet of women and Muslims.
6. He urged the protection of the Amazon Rainforest
![20130728nw155 [amazon pope]-001](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhcMOwaonT2yFqbtF7rwk7l7QzT1yNxSqF82FjSif6OBTMpCfYXPSLVlQZaI5q0WY5Kso-6fMd-8DgQ6XI5MuSpJy2SARAqvqdBCAfnxJfJiSwJPVjvqSz36XedOOATJydbwvld8-sGqQc2oKJVghftJfKoJZvUgV-cORLilmtC-gTT9uiDuEUJTe8AqyrXZQ7GKZrIoNxSQFWiHRHtndNmg-7MgiFvFqBoiL_XWE7Usl54OLi-G_U=s0-d-e1-ft)
During
his visit to Brazil, Pope Francis met with natives who have been
fighting ranchers and farmers attempting to invade their land. He
encouraged that the Amazon be treated as a garden and protected, along
with it's native people.
7. He personally called and consoled a victim of rape
A
44-year old Argentinian woman, raped by a local policeman, was one of
thousands to write a letter to Pope Francis in 2013. The woman was
surprised when she later received a phone call from Francis himself--who
consoled the woman and told her, “You are not alone.”
8. He snuck out of the Vatican to feed the homeless
More
recently, it has been discovered that Pope Francis regularly leaves the
Vatican at night to feed the homeless. Dressed as an ordinary priest,
he joins Archbishop Konrad Krajewski to feed the poor of Rome.
9. He auctioned his motorcycle to benefit the homeless
In October, Francis donated his own Harley Davidson motorcycle to fund a hostel and soup kitchen in Rome.
10. He acknowledged that atheists can be good people
Earlier
in 2013, Pope Francis spoke out against the common interpretation
within the Church that atheists, by nature, are bad people. He stated
that, “Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good.” After
meeting the Pope, the openly atheist president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica,
compared Francis to a friendly neighbor.
11. He condemned the global financial system
In
May, Francis denounced the global financial system for tyrannizing the
poor and turning humans into expendable consumer goods. He believes
that, “Money has to serve, not to rule!"
12. He fought child abuse
The
Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by allegations and
admissions of child abuse by members of the Church. Pope Francis became
the first Pope to take effective action against such atrocities. He ammended Vatican law to make sexual abuse of children a crime, and he also established a committee to fight abuse.
13. He condemned the violence of the Syrian civil war
In
regard to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Pope Francis asked for
peace and declared that, "War, never again. Violence never leads to
peace, war leads to war, violence leads to violence.”
14. He redirected employee bonuses to charity
When a new Pope is elected, Vatican employees receive a bonus. Upon his election, the extra money was given to directly to charity instead.
15. He spoke out against the Church’s ‘obsession’ with abortion, gay marriage and contraception
In
a voice of reason, Francis shocked the Catholic world when he stated
that the Church was an unhealthy obsession with abortion, gay marriage,
and contraception. He criticized the Church for putting dogma before
love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and
marginalized.
16. He called for cooperation between Christians and Muslims
During
his Angelus address, Francis paid respect to the end of Ramadan. He
stated that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and he
hoped that Christians and Muslims would work together to promote mutual
respect.
17. He took part in a selfie
In what might be his most progressive feat of
all, Pope Francis met with youngsters to be part of a truly remarkable
selfie. His is embracing the present, and he is undoubtedly taking the
Church to a more loving and accepting future.
18. He invited homeless men to his birthday meal
On
December 17, Pope Francis invited a group of homeless men and their dog
into the Vatican to share his birthday meal along with his staff. The
Pope had decided that he wanted a small birthday event, which would do
some good, rather than a large and expensive event.
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