Why the Name Francis?
There have been many holy men named Francis over the past 2000 years who we celebrate as saints—St. Francis de Sales, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Francis of Assisi. All of these men were figures of great holiness and their lives have provided inspiration for billions. So why did our new pope choose the name Francis? I would say that there a plenty of reasons.
1. To Inspire Humility
One of the most powerful examples of humility comes from that of St. Francis of Assisi. When God called Him he left behind everything—his family business, riches, even the clothes on his back—to follow Him. Francis was transformed. He was everything that God called Him to be. He humbled himself to be love in the world, especially to those who were most in need of love—the lepers and the beggars in his day.
Pope Francis has given us an example of his humility within the first moments of his pontificate by asking us to pray for him. He wanted to show to the world that although he is a leader, he is a servant-leader. He hasn’t “come to be served, but to serve” (Mk 10:45).
I believe that our new papa has chosen the name Francis as a result not only of his personal connection to Francis, but as a sign of humility—a quality that we can all aspire to grow in individually and as the Church.
2. To Encourage Gospel Simplicity
The name Francis is short and simple, just like the lifestyle that St. Francis of Assisi led. Francis lived the Gospel, literally. He heard what Jesus said and did the same. He experienced His love in powerful ways and went quickly into the world to share with others the goodness, love, and compassion of the Gospel. This simple life, this Gospel simplicity, is something I hope Pope Francis will continue to encourage and witness to the Church and the world.
I honestly can say that I was expecting a little more extravagance from his appearance on the balcony, but instead what I saw was a simple man. A man that has himself renounced the luxuries of the world to live a simple life of poverty, choosing to live in a small apartment, cook his own meals, and use public transportation. It’s something that goes against the expectations of our fallen world in which life is made out to be a pursuit of power, pleasure, and possessions. Another powerful witness to the simple life of the Christian.
3. To Rebuild the Church
Lastly, Francis of Assisi was called by God to rebuild the Catholic Church in a time when it suffered from corruption, heresy, and decay from within. Jesus promised that He would never abandon the Church. And every time that the worldly powers attempt to destroy the Church, God sends saints to rebuild the Church. Francis of Assisi was one of them and I will put my hope on Pope Francis being another.
At first St. Francis took God’s call to rebuild the Church literally. He sold his possessions and enlisted the help from volunteers to rebuild the church in which he stood when God called him. Then he moved on to restoring other churches around the area, until he realized that God wasn’t just calling him to restore the church buildings, but to be a primary figure in the restoration and building up of the worldwide Church, the Catholic Church. Pope Francis seems to be ready to answer the same call given to St. Francis of Assisi of rebuilding the Church.
Many Firsts in Pope Francis
Not only is Cardinal Bergoglio the first pope to choose the name Francis, he is also the first pope ever from Latin America, the first from the New World, and the first non-European pope in over 1,200 years. And that’s not all. He is also the first Jesuit pope. That’s a lot of firsts for a pope.
The Cardinals, guided by the Holy Spirit, have selected a pope from Latin America which makes sense since the majority of Catholics are hispanic. This is abundantly clear for us in the US, especially for we 5-million Catholics hhere in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles where over 70% of us are Latin American.
Being a Jesuit is also a big deal. The official name of the Order is the Society of Jesus. They are dedicated to Jesus Christ and in living His Gospel through education and propagation of the faith as well as through the social services of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. In other words they preach and care for the poor, they do what Jesus did. They continue His ministry. Sounds like the perfect witness we need from our pope.
It Doesn’t End Here
We all need to continue to pray for our new pope as he takes it all in and assumes the greatest responsibility of anyone on Earth, the pastoring of over 1.2 billions souls. May God grant him the strength and courage to lead this pilgrim Church through the desert of life.
UPDATE: The Pope Gives His Own Answer
Since writing this post, the Pope has given his own explanation, in meeting with Representatives of the Communications Media, about why he chose the name Francis.
“Some people wanted to know why the Bishop of Rome wished to be called Francis. Some thought of Francis Xavier, Francis De Sales, and also Francis of Assisi. I will tell you the story. During the election, I was seated next to the Archbishop Emeritus of São Paolo and Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes: a good friend, a good friend! When things were looking dangerous, he encouraged me. And when the votes reached two thirds, there was the usual applause, because the Pope had been elected. And he gave me a hug and a kiss, and said: “Don’t forget the poor!” And those words came to me: the poor, the poor. Then, right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi. Then I thought of all the wars, as the votes were still being counted, till the end. Francis is also the man of peace. That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi. For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good relationship with creation, do we? He is the man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man … How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!”