A moderate Catholic known for his strong negotiating skills as well as a readiness to challenge powerful interests. A man to lead the Catholic Church to follow on from Pope Benedict XVI. A good choice it seems as 42% of the 1.2 billion Catholics in the World are in South America, it is after all a Global Church not just an European Church, even if for over 1300 years the Pope's have been from Europe.
This after the papacy opened unexpectedly on 11th Feb 2013 when Pope Benedict XVI, who led the Church since 2005, announced his retirement. Benedict was the first pope to resign on his own accord since 1415. Taking the world and the Church by surprise.
Pope Francis I becoming the 266th Pope will take control of a church facing challenges in an evolving world. Though membership boosts in Africa and South America have helped worldwide population numbers, congregations in America and Europe continue to shrink. And perhaps most notably, clergy sex scandals have wounded the Catholic image, and there has been recent pressure to allow women into the priesthood. Pope Francis I will be expected to address these issues during his tenure.
"His character is in every way that of a moderate. He is absolutely capable of undertaking the necessary renovation without any leaps into the unknown. He would be a balancing force," said Francesca Ambrogetti, who co-authored a biography of Bergoglio after carrying out a series of interviews with him over three years.
"He shares the view that the Church should have a missionary role, that gets out to meet people, that is active.... a church that does not so much regulate the faith as promote and facilitate it," she added. "His lifestyle is sober and austere. That's the way he lives. He travels on the underground, the bus, when he goes to Rome he flies economy class."
In his rare previous public appearances, Bergoglio spared no harsh words for politicians and Argentine society, and had a tricky relationship with President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner. And from this history, I for one certainly have positive hopes that he continues in this way in his Papacy.
Surely, the Believers, and the Jews, and the Christians and the Sabians — whichever party from among these truly believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds — shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
Al-Baqarah Chapter 2 : Verse 63
And it reminds me that in December 2011 when the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (atba) sent a direct message to Pope Benedict XVI calling for the Pope to use his influence to encourage religious tolerance and the establishment of human values throughout the world.
The message was delivered personally by the President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Kababir, Muhammad Sharif Odeh, who met the Pope as part of an official delegation of renowned Israeli religious scholars.
In his message, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (atba), spoke of the perilous state of the world. He said:
“It is with regret that if we now observe the current circumstances of the world closely, we find that the foundation for another world war has already been laid. As a consequence of so many countries having nuclear weapons, grudges and enmities are increasing and the world sits on the precipice of destruction.
I believe it is essential, that we urgently increase our efforts to save the world from this destruction. There is an urgent need for mankind to recognise its Creator as this is the only guarantor for the survival of humanity.”
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (atba) also said that the world should judge religions on their true teachings, not on the misguided acts of individuals or groups. He said:
“If a person does not follow a particular teaching properly whilst claiming to subscribe to it, then it is he who is in error, not the teaching.
From cover to cover, the Holy Qur’an teaches love, affection, peace, reconciliation and the spirit of sacrifice. Hence, if anybody portrays Islam as an extreme and violent religion filled with teachings of bloodshed, then such a portrayal has no link with the real Islam.”
Speaking about the role of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (atba) said:
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community practises only the true Islam and works purely to please God Almighty. If any Church or other place of worship stands in need of protection, they will find us standing shoulder to shoulder with them. If any message resonates from our mosques it will only be that of Allah is great and that we bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Him and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”
And his Holiness concluded by praying for world peace and urging all other parties to play their respected roles for this all important pursuit. He said:
“It is my prayer that we all understand our responsibilities and play our role in establishing peace and love, and for the recognition of our Creator in the world. We ourselves have prayer, and we constantly beseech Allah that may this destruction of the world be avoided. I pray that we are saved from the destruction that awaits us.”
It is not a light burden that Pope Francis I bears, but if he is the humble and pious man that we hope and believe he is, then through our combined prayers and mighty efforts we can achieve world peace and avoid another world war. May Allah (swt) forgive us our sins and guide us upon the right path, making us among His beloved, and not of those who have gone astray or incurred His Wrath. Ameen.
By Ansar Khan Regional Nazim Taleem for Tahir Region London, to read more articles by this and other inspiring authors visit www.tahirregion.weebly.com/blog. Please do feel free to comment and share this with your friends.