Before he was introduced to the world as  “Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God,” Pope Francis was known simply as Jorge Bergoglio, a cardinal from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although he is the first elected Pope from South America, he denies himself the luxuries most bishops and cardinals indulged themselves in. When Pope Francis first stepped on to Saint Peter’s balcony, he was not dressed in ornate papal robes and a gold cross was not around his neck, but instead clothed in a plain, white cassock, with a small iron crucifix replacing such a lavish tradition. When he lived in Argentina, he was a prominent figure throughout the continent, yet loved by his own diocese. On March 13th, 2013, he was the first Pope to take  the name “Francis”, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who dedicated his service to the poor. “ My people are poor and I am one of them”, he has said more than once, to explain why he lived in a small apartment and cooked his own meals.

After the conclave, that had elected him Pope, he did not receive the other cardinals congratulations on the Papal throne but instead receiving them standing, an immediate sign of a changing approach to formalities at the Vatican. Before blessing all the pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Francis asked them to pray for his predecessor  pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and for himself. Pope Francis has decided not to reside in the official papal residence in the Apostolic Palace but to remain in the Vatican guest house. He has advised our Church to relinquish obsession of modern issues and become more merciful. Pope Francis believes that the Church should be more focused on serving the poor and homeless, and not constantly battle over Church doctrines. He is a simple man, replacing the protected Mercedes- Benz  “ pope-mobile”, with an open, Station Wagon allowing him to be closer to the people. In history, there has never been a Pope so intent on living as simply as possible. Perhaps, this is a the beginning of a new era in the Vatican. Pope Francis is a humble man that our Church needs, to forget materialistic possessions, and focus on what God calls each and every one of us to do for our Church and our faith.