Pope Francis 2nd Anniversary

Time does sure fly does it not?  Pope Francis is celebrating his 2nd anniversary as the Bishop of Rome and Roman Pontiff.  He was elected to the chair of Peter after Pope Benedict XVI retired citing poor health and lack of energy.

Pope Francis has made a big impact on the world in just two years.  He has high ratings among Catholics and non-Catholics, and has been named the man of the year in several publications. His humble demeanor and no nonsense mentality has gained him a lot of popularity.  However, some in the so-called "traditionalist" circle are not too happy with him.  They see him as a "liberal" Pope who is disturbing their safety blanket of "rigid rules" and adherance to "archaic rituals." Some have even gone as far as claiming that he is an anti-pope.

Nevertheless, Pope Francis continues "wowing" the world with his down to earth approach and informal way of speaking.  He has focused his energies on making the Church the "Church of the Poor" by asking clergy to sell their mansions, use cheaper cars and cell phones and live austere lives.  Moreover, he even had showers installed for Rome's homeless, held a raffle for them, and opened a barber shop to cater to their needs.  The Pope has worked hard to restore the credibility lost after the many cases of sex abuse by clergy.  

For his anniversay, the Pope gave an interview to a Mexican media outlet.  In the interview, he stated that he misses being able to go outside to the pizzaria to get a slice without being recognized. He also dislikes the traveling and believes he will last 4-5 more years.

Congratulations to our Holy Father!  Ad multos annos!









Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/13/pope-francis-mexico-devil-punishing-violence

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/03/13/pope-francis-the-devil-has-made-mexico-pay/

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/03/13/vatican-watcher-pope-francis-the-world-sees-now-wasnt-always-comfortable-being-in-the-public-eye/

http://time.com/3744783/pope-francis-catholic-church-two-years/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-31875507

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/europe/pope-francis-interview/index.html