When you look around Grady’s campus, you see a diverse community of people from all walks of life. There are kids with no money and there are kids with lots of money. There are kids of all races and from all backgrounds. Just as our school brings us together to learn, Pope Francis strives to connect people in the hope of instilling a sense of acceptance and compassion.
Everything Pope Francis stands for can be applied to the way we view and interact with the world. The Pope was named TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2013 because of his healing of the Church. Pope Francis preaches to help the poor and embrace the differences of others and he has sought to end corruption within the Catholic Church.
He instills a sense of hope in Catholics and non-Catholics alike through his emphasis on helping and supporting the poor, the lonely, and the misunderstood. In his first nine months as Pope, he managed to uphold the traditions valued by so many Catholics while simultaneously shifting the Church into the modern age.
I admire Pope Francis for his courage to stand up for what he believes is right and to confront controversial issues.
He oversaw investigations of the Vatican Bank, known to be corrupt, and held the Bank accountable by producing the first annual report in 125 years. He is opening up the Catholic Church to those who have been victims of discrimination. In reference to gay people he said, “If a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge.” He looks past rules forbidding divorced and remarried Catholics from taking Communion and opens the doors to anyone who would like to come to the Church.
He spent his early life in Buenos Aires and formerly worked as a janitor, nightclub bouncer, chemical technician and literature teacher. Before becoming Pope, he took the name Francis, replacing his birth name, Jorge Bergoglio. He called himself Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, who is know for humility and caring for the poor. Pope Francis devoted himself to his name, setting out to change the ways of the Church and help the poor.
As we enter the new year we should all look to his lessons as a guide to better ourselves. Our generation is often accused, and rightly so, of suffering from affluenza and lacking concern for the world around us. The values that Pope Francis stresses should be incorporated into everyone’s list of new year’s resolutions as a way to remind us of what is truly important in life.
The Pope urges us to stop gossip, remember the hungry, make time for others, practice tolerance and find happiness. If we stop speaking poorly of others, brutal cyberbullying and other causes of teen depression can decline rather than flourish. If we remember the hungry when we sit down for meals, we can be more appreciative and take less for granted. If we make time for the people in our lives and others around us, we can create a community and make each other feel appreciated. If we learn to be tolerant and accept those who are different from ourselves, we can learn to love and understand. If we do things to make ourselves happy we can share our joy with others.
Pope Francis serves as a guide and role model for all, no matter what religion, gender, race, sexuality or background, because the lessons he strives to teach and morals he strives to promote can be universally recognized as good, right and pure of heart. His values and ambition inspire many to work for success and use it as a tool to help and benefit others.
