Today, the cardinals of the Catholic Church elected a new pontiff: Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who chose to be known as Pope Francis. Most modern Popes pick the name of a prior pontiff, so this is a departure from tradition — choosing a name never held by a Pope. The new Bishop of Rome instead chose to be named after one of Catholicism’s most revered saints: Francis of Assisi — a.k.a. San Francisco — who lived from around 1180 to 1226. As I pointed out in a recent post, Popes usually choose the name of someone they admire, so the name offers a preview of the new Pope’s plans and priorities. Below are a few of Saint Francis’ personality traits. It’s anyone’s guess which the new Pope plans to imitate. Continue reading “Lighten Up, Francis” →