March "Glad"ness!

HABEMUS PAPAM!!!

Just the Pope settling his bill at the hotel before heading to the papal apartment!

Pope Francis (as Cardinal) riding the bus instead of taking the limo!
I have been asked by more than a few people what my opinion is about our new pope, Pope Francis. I'm always a little thrown aback when criticisms fly about a man that has only been pope for about 4 days...really??? First of all, do we or do we not believe that the Holy Spirit is in charge of our dear Church? It's the year 2013 and the Church still stands! It stands despite there being years of "false popes", "bought popes", clergy abuse, abuses of Vatican II, and other things! So, I am to understand that we pray to the Holy Spirit (and the Blesed Mother and Our Savior and...)and proclaim that we trust His workings and, yet, have the gaul to question whether this "guy" is the right person for the job of pope? Again...really???
Secondly, what the heck do I know? Really, what do any of us know about the true intentions of the person in which most of us laid eyes on for the first time on the balcony at the Vatican? He's a Jesuit - holy, moly! I know that the United States Jesuits tend to be more focused on social concerns and other more liberal ideologies - hello, Georgetown University - but, hello, University of Notre Dame (NOT a Jesuit-run university) There are problems with all sorts of groups in our Church because, here's the shocker, they are run by flawed humans! And, I believe, the pope is one of those flawed humans but he has been ordained by the H.O.L.Y. S.P.I.R.I.T. to be the rock of our Church and we dare to question his sincerity? 4 days after the election?
This ain't Obama, for goodness sakes! We're not talking about millions of voters with selfish agendas coming together to vote for the president! We have to trust...we have to believe...we have to PRAY!
As for me, I think he seem genuine and sweet and humble and gentle and prayerful and he stands up for life - from conception to natural death! Seems like a win for me - a win for my Church!!