He’s been named one of the coolest and most progressive Popes of our time, and he’s proved people right. He’s a soccer fan, a modest man, an animal lover, who’s shown he wants nothing but peace, hope and happiness in the world. His Sanctity got a full-on birthday celebration as he turns 78 today, and was all smiles when he arrived at the Vatican, where his general audience cheered, danced Tango, brought him Argentinian flags and soccer jerseys, sang happy birthday in multiple languages and even brought him cake complete with candles!
There are many reasons why we’ve learned to love the new Pope and to celebrate him on this special day, we picked these: 1. He wants people to be happy and gives out great advice for it. "Live and let live." Everyone should be guided by this principle. There is a similar expression in Rome that says, "Move forward and let others do the same."
2. He used to be a teacher: Pope Francis used to teach high school literature and strongly believes that playing together with your children is an art that should be recovered.
3. He doesn’t judge our LGBT brothers and sisters: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" said Pope Francis in a news conference aboard the papal plane while traveling back to Rome for World Youth Day.
4. He is a man of forgiveness: Pope Francis announced women who have had abortions will be forgiven. “I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision,” he said.
5. He’s a modest man: Not only does Pope Francis wear modest clothes all the time, Instead of moving into the Apostolic Palace, the grand apartments used by every pope since Pius X in 1903, His Holiness chose to set up shop in the Domus Sanctæ Marthæ, also known as the Vatican guesthouse.
6. He’s an advocate for the poor: the Pope often speaks about the cruelty of greediness, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? ... Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving?” And has even spoken of the Vatican’s exuberant finances.
7. His name: Pope Francis chose this name inspired by Saint Francis de Assisi, who rejected his family’s riches to live amongst the poor and help them.
8. He’s a modern Pope: His Sanctity reaches and talks to people directly, with beautiful and hopeful messages through his Twitter page and has even taken part in some selfies! Check it out.
9. He believes family is everything! Pope Francis constantly urges people to spend time with their families, play with their children and never neglect the elderly.
10. He reaches out to other religions: Pope Francis spent Holy Thursday washing prisoners’’ feet, and the fact that two of those were Muslim, did not stop him. “My wish is that the dialogue between us should help to build bridges connecting all people, in such a way that everyone can see in the other not an enemy, not a rival, but a brother or sister to be welcomed and embraced.”
11. He believes in gender equality: the Pontiff called on men to listen to women as they are more creative and patient. "Women don’t only bring life, but they transmit the capacity to see beyond what meets the eye."
12. He constantly addresses violence and war in hopes it will end: “The only way to win a war is not to make war.”
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