Chiclayo went wild. “La Cumbia del Papa” by Donnie Yaipén went viral, declaring in a tune driven by his accordion, “How wonderful—look what Roberto has done.”
The new pope situates himself among pontiffs whose legacies span the bold defense of orthodoxy, the reform of ecclesial corruption, and the navigation of seismic cultural shifts.
We pray that both new leaders will be evangelists, placing the clear and winsome proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the heart of their public teaching and writing.
I know very little about the world, but in 2012, when I was 20, I knew even less. For instance, I didn’t know I was about to meet the man who would become Pope Francis.
Seemingly within moments of Justin Welby resigning, many articles began identifying potential successors. Two names are common to almost all the lists, and so I shall start with them.
It’s not known if Welby consulted with any Anglicans outside the Church of England in making his decision to step down. The Church of England effectively fired Anglicans’ spiritual head, and couldn’t be bothered to check in about it.
I did not anticipate early morning FaceTime conversations about the Buffalo Bills and America’s Got Talent, or the relative merits of various brands of hot sauce.
He made the sign of the cross on my forehead, held his hands on my head and offered an earnest prayer. He said “Amen” in that deep, rich voice, and then looked me in the eyes and said, “Now go preach the gospel, my brother.”
