Habemus Papam! (We Have a New Pope!)

The task was difficult, and it needed to be done in a small time frame. In the first full day, the conclave did it, selecting Jorge Borgoglio from Argentina as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.

With this sigh of relief comes a bit of curiosity among many people, young ones especially, as to what teachings Pope Francis will stick to and what it means for their generation.

First and foremost, Francis chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi who dedicated his life to the poor. This is good news for any college student starting out and trying to find a job because they know that the Pope is thinking of them through their struggles and does not think of himself as anything but equal to them. He also models a very simple life which is important when he wants a church that is for the poor. So far he has set that example by cooking his own meals, riding in public transportation instead of a provided limousine, and living in an apartment instead of the Archbishop’s palace. This simple life will be greatly appreciated by those who are less fortunate as he is trying to live as they do.

“I would like a poor church and a church for the poor,” Pope Francis said.

    Pope Francis will follow in his predecessor’s footsteps by connecting with the technological generation via Twitter. He already tweeted on Sunday asking for prayers as he starts his journey as Pope. This will also prove to be a helpful connection to the younger generation as they can see their faith as something more than just attending Mass on Sunday’s.

    The new Pope has already acknowledged the need to pass information onto young people because they are the future of Catholicism and the world. “Let us give this wisdom to the young people; like good wine it becomes better with age. Let us give to young people the wisdom of life,” he told the other cardinals earlier this week.

    Francis is already making changes in the routines of a Pope allowing for people to feel closer to him. On Sunday, he greeted the crowds in St. Peter’s Square informally from his apartment window, and he stepped outside of the Vatican to greet unexpected adults and children.

    Young people especially will be keeping their eyes on Francis and his views on controversial topics. In the past he has been against gay adoption and same sex marriage. This could gain or lose the interest of young Catholics. For one he is sticking with former Church teachings and not contradicting the Church, but on the other hand he is not adapting to and changing with the times.

    No matter what his viewpoints, Francis is sure to be on everyone’s radar in the near future. Tuesday marked his first day officially as Pope as he was inaugurated at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

“Let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment,” Pope Francis said.

*Picture courtesy of abcnews.com