The Pope of the poor remembered through personal encounters
DURBAN - The world continues to reflect on the passing of Pope Francis, a spiritual leader known for his compassion and connection with the poor.
He championed the rights of the excluded and met with grassroots leaders across the globe.
One of them was S'bu Zikode, president of Abahlali baseMjondolo who says the Pope was a very Pope person who acted with dignity.
Zikode says he meet with the Pope in 2016 when he was invited to the World Meeting of Popular Movement held in Rome.
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Daily Maverick
18-05-2025
- Daily Maverick
Will Pope Leo XIV embrace synodality to navigate modern challenges for the Catholic Church?
Leo could choose, to an extent, to make changes his predecessor had cued already. Cardinal Robert Prevost of the US has been picked to be the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church; he will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Attention now turns to what vision the first US pope will bring. Change is hard to bring about in the Catholic Church. During his pontificate, Francis often gestured towards change without actually changing church doctrines. He permitted discussion of ordaining married men in remote regions where populations were greatly underserved due to a lack of priests, but he did not actually allow it. On his own initiative, he set up a commission to study the possibility of ordaining women as deacons, but he did not follow it through. However, he did allow priests to offer the Eucharist, the most important Catholic sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, to Catholics who had divorced and remarried without being granted an annulment. Likewise, Francis did not change the official teaching that a sacramental marriage is between a man and a woman, but he did allow for the blessing of gay couples, in a manner that did appear to be a sanctioning of gay marriage. To what degree will the new pope stand or not stand in continuity with Francis? As a scholar who has studied the writings and actions of the popes since the time of the Second Vatican Council, a series of meetings held to modernise the church from 1962 to 1965, I am aware that every pope comes with his own vision and his own agenda for leading the church. Still, the popes who immediately preceded them set practical limits on what changes could be made. There were limitations on Francis too, but the new pope, I argue, will have more leeway because of the signals Francis sent. The process of synodality Francis initiated a process called ' synodality ', a term that combines the Greek words for 'journey' and 'together'. Synodality involves gathering Catholics of various ranks and points of view to share their faith and pray with each other as they address challenges faced by the church today. One of Francis's favourite themes was inclusion. He carried forward the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that the Holy Spirit – that is, the Spirit of God who inspired the prophets and is believed to be sent by Christ among Christians in a special way – is at work throughout the whole church; it includes not only the hierarchy but all the church members. This belief constituted the core principle underlying synodality. Francis launched a two-year global consultation process in October 2022, culminating in a synod in Rome in October 2024. Catholics all over the world offered their insights and opinions during this process. The synod discussed many issues, some of which were controversial, such as clerical sexual abuse, the need for oversight of bishops, the role of women in general and the ordination of women as deacons. The final synod document did not offer conclusions concerning these topics, but rather aimed more at promoting the transformation of the entire Catholic Church into a synodal church in which Catholics tackle the many challenges of the modern world together. Francis refrained from issuing his own document in response, in order that the synod's statement could stand on its own. The process of synodality in one sense places limits on bishops and the pope by emphasising their need to listen to all church members before making decisions. In another sense, though, in the long run the process opens up the possibility for needed developments to take place when and if lay Catholics overwhelmingly testify that they believe the church should move in a certain direction. Change is hard in the church But a pope cannot simply reverse official positions that his immediate predecessors had been emphasising. Practically speaking, there needs to be a papacy, or two, during which a pope will either remain silent on matters that call for change or at least limit himself to hints and signals on such issues. In 1864, Pius IX condemned the proposition that 'the Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church'. It wasn't until 1965 – about 100 years later – that the Second Vatican Council, in the Declaration on Religious Freedom, would affirm that 'a wrong is done when government imposes upon its people, by force or fear or other means, the profession or repudiation of any religion'. A second major reason popes may refrain from making top-down changes is that they may not want to operate like a dictator issuing executive orders in an authoritarian manner. Francis was accused by his critics of acting in this way with his positions on Eucharist for those remarried without a prior annulment and on blessings for gay couples. The major thrust of his papacy, however, with his emphasis on synodality, was actually in the opposite direction. Notably, when the Amazon Synod – held in Rome in October 2019 – voted 128-41 to allow for married priests in the Brazilian Amazon region, Francis rejected it as not being the appropriate time for such a significant change. The belief that the pope should express the faith of the people and not simply his own personal opinions is not a new insight from Francis. The doctrine of papal infallibility, declared at the First Vatican Council in 1870, held that the pope, under certain conditions, could express the faith of the church without error. The limitations and qualifications of this power include that the pope be speaking not personally, but in his official capacity as the head of the church; he must not be in heresy; he must be free of coercion and of sound mind; he must be addressing a matter of faith and morals; and he must consult relevant documents and other Catholics so that what he teaches represents not simply his own opinions, but the faith of the church. The Marian doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption offer examples of the importance of consultation. The Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854, is the teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was herself preserved from original sin, a stain inherited from Adam that Catholics believe all other human beings are born with, from the moment of her conception. The Assumption, proclaimed by Pius XII in 1950, is the doctrine that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. The documents in which these doctrines were proclaimed stressed that the bishops of the church had been consulted and that the faith of the lay people was being affirmed. Unity, above all One of the main duties of the pope is to protect the unity of the Catholic Church. On the one hand, making many changes quickly can lead to schism, an actual split in the religious community. In 2022, for example, the Global Methodist Church split from the United Methodist Church over same-sex marriage and the ordination of noncelibate gay bishops. There have also been various schisms in the Anglican communion in recent years. The Catholic Church faces similar challenges, but so far it has been able to avoid schisms by limiting the actual changes being made. On the other hand, not making reasonable changes that acknowledge positive developments in the culture regarding issues such as the full inclusion of women or the dignity of gays and lesbians can result in the large-scale exit of members. Pope Leo XIV, I argue, needs to be a spiritual leader, a person of vision, who can build upon the legacy of his immediate predecessors in such a way as to meet the challenges of the present moment. He already stated that he wants a synodal church that is ' close to the people who suffer ', signalling a great deal about the direction he will take. If the new pope is able to update church teachings on some hot-button issues, it will be precisely because Francis set the stage for him. DM First published by The Conversation. Dennis Doyle is professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Dayton in Ohio. This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
eNCA
18-05-2025
- eNCA
First US pope Leo XIV takes to popemobile ahead of inaugural mass
VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff, made his debut tour of St Peter's Square on Sunday in a popemobile, greeting tens of thousands of pilgrims and well-wishers ahead of his inauguration mass. Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, who became head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, stood in the white vehicle as it drove through cheering crowds, smiling, waving and making the sign of the cross. US Vice President JD Vance is among the hundreds of dignitaries due to attend the inauguration mass that begins at 10:00 am (0800 GMT). Leo will preside over the ceremony rich in rites and symbols, where he will receive his special papal ring before giving a homily that will set the tone for his papacy. After spending two decades as a missionary in Peru, the 69-year-old is unknown to many Catholics, but during the past week he has offered glimpses of the kind of leader he will be. In meetings with journalists, clergy and diplomats, he repeatedly called for peace in a world full of conflicts and defended social justice. He also emphasised traditional Catholic values, including the importance of a family built around a "stable union of a man and a woman", and defended the rights of the unborn. Inacia Lisboa, 71, originally from Cape Verde but who lives in Rome, said she got up early to get a good spot to see a man she said had already "entered my heart". Asked what she wanted to hear from him, she told AFP: "The first thing is that he prays for us all, for peace in the world - we need it so much." - Zelensky, Merz - AFP | Ernesto BENAVIDES Leo's elevation has sparked huge enthusiasm in the United States, which is being represented on Sunday by Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic. Before becoming pope, the new pontiff on his personal X account reposted criticism of President Donald Trump's administration over its approach to migration and also pilloried Vance, but the account is no longer accessible. Vance was the last world leader to meet with Pope Francis, the day before the Argentine died on April 21 after 12 years as pontiff. Other notable guests expected include Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky - who memorably met Trump in St Peter's Basilica at Francis's funeral - and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is also on the list provided by the Vatican, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Colombia's Gustavo Petro and a host of European royals. Italian authorities have deployed thousands of security officers for the event, alongside snipers on rooftops and anti-drone operations. - Fisherman's ring - Leo XIV was elected the 267th pope on May 8 after a secret conclave vote of cardinals that lasted less than 24 hours. Succeeding the charismatic but impulsive Francis, he takes over a Church still battling the fallout of the clerical child abuse scandal, and trying to adapt to the modern world. Modernity is not the concern on Sunday, however. Although no pope has been crowned during an inauguration mass since Paul VI in 1963, the event is still a grand affair steeped in tradition. Leo will begin by visiting the tomb of Saint Peter - who in the Christian tradition was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the first pope - located under the altar of the basilica that bears his name. Leo will then receive the pontifical emblems - the pallium, a strip of cloth worn over the chasuble, his robe and the fisherman's ring, which is forged anew for each pope and which he will wear on his finger until he dies, when it will be destroyed. With other cardinals and clergy, the pope will walk in procession into St Peter's Square, where large screens will display the proceedings to the crowds. At the end of the ceremony, the pope will greet the delegations of heads of state, though it is not clear if any of them will also be accorded a one-to-one private audience. By Clément Melki
IOL News
16-05-2025
- IOL News
'Only informed individuals can make free choices'
Pope Leo XIV arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time after being elected to take over from the late Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8. Pope Leo is the first pope from the United States. It's been over a week since the emergence of the new pope after that highly anticipated voting in that historic chapel in Rome and the American-Peruvian has taken the late Pope Francis's baton and is already running at speed with it and in the same trajectory. There were some concerns last week when the billions of us who'd been watching closely the colour of the smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel learned that the new pontiff was 'an American'. But soon the 'Make America Great Again' fears were allayed as Pope Leo XIV turned out to be a great choice, another 'people's pope' just like his predecessor. Those of us who are for peace, democracy and justice in the world can all repeat with glee after the senior cardinal who made the announcement: Habemus papam – meaning 'we have a pope'. Indeed, we have a pope, a great and brave leader prepared to tackle the many and varied challenges facing this world. I was especially impressed by his frank and bold interaction with members of the media on Monday, just days after his election. Pope Leo didn't just come out boldly to pledge his support for media freedom and the much-needed protection of media practitioners around the world but seems intent on following his words with practical action. He seems well-informed. The pontiff reminded us of the 567 media professionals currently imprisoned around the world 'for seeking to report the truth' and appealed to everyone to help safeguard the 'precious gift of free speech and of the press' where it still exists. Of course, by 'media professionals' the Holy Father was referring not to the purveyors of misinformation, disinformation, 'fake news' and so on that is polluting 'the media'. This is not to say that there hasn't been challenges between the media and the Holy See, but it's good for its new leader to come out right from the start to make clear where he stands on the matter. I can't agree with him more in saying 'only informed individuals can make free choices' – especially during general elections.
