Seeing the Pope today was a cool way to see how the Catholic Church has evolved since Francis was elected. The Church has been facing issues like how to relate to a changing world, and accusations of child molestation. However, with this new leadership, it seems like people are really excited again about the direction the Church is heading in. We saw that this morning in the sheer number of people who turned up early just to be able to see Pope Francis. I don't have any way to compare it to the number of people who came to see Pope Benedict, but we learned in class that the Vatican does not really know how to deal with so many people for these audiences. Additionally, I learned this morning that the fact that Francis is the first Jesuit Pope, and that he is the first Pope from South America means people are more excited. It represents a shift towards representation of the undeveloped countries in the world, and the lower classes. Since Pope Francis also wants to conduct surveys to get an idea for the beliefs of Catholics, he is clearly trying to make sure the Church goes in a direction that will benefit everyone. I saw so much excitement when he came out in his popemobile, with so many people trying to take pictures and stand on their chairs to see him better, that it has to represent a more positive public opinion of the papacy.
The things that Pope Francis has already done to change the papacy have demonstrated that this is a pope who wants to go back to the actual teachings of Jesus. He rejected the fancy palace and the gaudy clothes in order to live more simply. He turned the house of a fired bishop into a soup kitchen, and there are rumors that he sneaks out at night to serve at a different soup kitchen. He is truly inspiring, even to an atheist like me, and I can't wait to see what else he will do.
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