Known for his humble persona and a break from tradition, Pope Francis, since being elected head of Vatican, has emerged as a face that could well help reform the ageing Catholic church.
His most recent comment – that God was no magician and the Big Bang Theory was indeed correct – has earned him heaps of praise across social media.
“The beginning of the world is not the work of chaos that owes its origin to something else, but it derives directly from a supreme principle that creates out of love,” he said.
“The ‘Big Bang’, that today is considered to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the creative intervention of God, on the contrary it requires it,” he said. “Evolution in nature is not in contrast with the notion of (divine) creation because evolution requires the creation of the beings that evolve,” the pope said.
Since taking over from his predecessor Benedict XVI, Pope Francis has been in the news either for his witty remarks or his humble deeds.
We take a look at some of Pope Francis’s remarkable moments
* After being elected Pope at the papal conclave, Pope Francis, on day one of his papacy, decided to skip the chauffeur-driven car that he is entitled to, and take the bus back to his hotel along with his fellow cardinals.
On arriving at the hotel and after collecting his luggage, Pope Francis offered to personally pay the hotel bill.
* “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? We shouldn’t marginalise people for this. They must be integrated into society.” These remarks by Pope Francis earlier this year indicated his evolving stand on the issue of homosexuality even forcing the Vatican to issue a clarification – “We should not try to read more into the Pope’s words than what has been stated in very general terms.” Read our analysis here.
* Pope Francis, who is a big football fan, has also played his role in the premier league. In September this year, a meeting with Pope Francis helped Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger sign Danny Welbeck.
“If I had not travelled that day, Welbeck would not be here,” Wenger said. “The coincidence made that because I was on my way (to Rome). If I stayed at home, Welbeck would not be here today.” In Vatican, Wenger went on to manage football star Maradona at a friendly “Match for peace” held in the Vatican grounds.
* Pope Francis, whose birth name is Jorge Mario Bergolio, in January this year became the first pontiff to grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, the bible for music lovers. In a 7,700-word cover story, the magazine’s contributing editor Mark Binelli profiles Pope Francis’ break from tradition and how he hopes to reform the church. Pope Francis also featured on the cover of TIME magazine as person of the year 2013.
* In October last year, when Pope Francis was speaking in St Peter’s Square about the important role grandparents play, a little boy walked up behind him and confidently climbed up and sat down on the pontiff’s white chair. Pope Francis let the boy explore the area and smiled while reading his speech as the boy sat in the empty chair, gazed up at him and even at one point clung to the pontiff’s legs.
* Since taking over, Pope Francis has made many personal calls to people including his newspaper vendor to cancel his subscription. Besides those in Argentina, the pope has called up those who have written to him about personal incidents and tragedies that they have suffered.
The 76-year-old Francis has a fondness for making calls the old-fashioned way, using land lines and placing the calls himself, often surprising recipients by simply announcing “It’s the pope!”
But the pope, in an interview with a Jesuit magazine in Rome, summarised his humbleness with these words. When asked, “who Jorge Mario Bergolio was?” the pope’s answer was blunt and honest. “I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”
