It has been ten years since the election of Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. In that decade he has accomplished a remarkable undertaking: launching a profound transformation of the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church.
The very election of Pope Francis was a great novelty, for at least two reasons.
First, the pope had never before been a Jesuit - that is, a member of the Society of Jesus, a powerful religious order in the 16th and 17th centuries with a global DNA, but which was harshly attacked by the European powers, especially in the age of the Enlightenment.
Massimo Faggioli, a professor in the department of theology and religious studies at Villanova University in Philadelphia, points out that Pope Francis "thinks and acts like a Jesuit”. Throughout the history of Catholicism, the Jesuit order has always operated at the limits and frontiers of the Church, “both geographically and intellectually and ideologically," he told The National ahead of the Pope's ten-year anniversary, which takes place on Monday.
The second novelty is that in nearly 1,300 years, a man born outside Europe had never been elected pope. According to Angelo Manfredi, a priest and professor of Church history at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in Milan, it is no coincidence that one of the most powerful messages of Pope Francis is have a "listening, missionary spirit, capable of a healthy cultural cross-fertilisation”. He told The National the Church now “changes as she walks with the people of the five continents”.
By its very nature, the Catholic Church has always been global. The very term 'Catholic' comes from the ancient Greek 'katholikos', universal. But Pope Francis immediately made it clear, notes Prof Faggioli, "that for him, Europe and North America no longer define the cultural and theological boundaries of Catholicism. This pope's reading of the world is from the south."
10 years of Pope Francis - in pictures
Vatican sources tell The National that thanks to Pope Francis, the Eurocentric legacy of past centuries has finally been overcome. He has given much more space to interreligious dialogue than his predecessors by focusing on the non-Western world.
Roberto Catalano, professor in the department of Theology, philosophy and human sciences at the Sophia University Institute, observes: "From the very beginning, Pope Francis has spoken of a culture of dialogue and encounter, especially dialogue between religions". This is evident in the path taken to re-establish relations with Al Azhar University, the friendship with Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, the subsequent signing in Abu Dhabi of the document on human fraternity for world peace and living together, and the visit to many Muslim majority countries. "There is a whole policy and agenda that he is following, which seems to me very logical, very open and aimed at dialogue," says Prof Catalano.
Pope Francis has made the Church much more attentive to the big issue of global imbalances. According to Gino De Vecchis, honorary professor of geography at Rome's Sapienza University, "Francis's view of the world focuses on inequality. In April 2014, he tweeted that 'inequality is the root of social evils'. The Pope's thoughts dwell on the ways in which globalisation has deepened - and continues to deepen - economic divides".
The pontiff's gestures of concern for the poor and suffering around the world have been many over the past decade. Immediately after the earthquake in Turkey, for example, he sent food and aid. And the Apostolic almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, visited the country, just as he has travelled several times in the past to war-torn Ukraine.
The Pope has also made the Catholic Church greener. For Pope Francis, 'the earth is an environment to be safeguarded, a garden to be cultivated', and his encyclical letter Laudato si' (Praise be to You) was very popular not only with Catholics, but with environmentalists around the world. According to De Vecchis: "Francis exhorts everyone to see the world through the eyes of God the Creator. And this is precisely why man’s relationship with nature must not be influenced by greed and exploitation, but must preserve the divine harmony between creatures and creation."
The oldest church in the Gulf welcomes Pope Francis
In his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis urged the Church to “embark on a new chapter of evangelism”.
Catholics expecting a revolution may have been disappointed but, according to Prof Manfredi, the pope has brought genuine change and not just put ‘his men’ into power. He has done what he theorized by "'initiating processes rather than possessing spaces”.
"He tried to overcome the top-down centralization that prevailed in Rome for historical reasons," Prof Manfredi says. "He initiated a process of transparency both in the administrative management and in the analysis of many past events, such as cases of abuse in many churches. He also offered more room to lay people and women."
Not everyone in the Catholic Church has appreciated Francis' innovations. But one thing is certain: even after the end of this papacy, the world of Catholicism will be a different place.
Scores in brief:
- New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
- William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
- Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
- Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)
Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)
Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)
Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
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The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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Marvel's%20Spider-Man%202
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Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
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MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
Newcastle United 0
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Ukraine%20exports
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