E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, checks out of the church-run residence on March 14, where he had been staying in Rome. Pope Francis returned on Thursday to the Church-run residence where he was staying before becoming pontiff, and insisted on paying the bill, despite now effectively being in charge of the business, the Vatican said.
Marcos Brindicci / Reuters
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to lead the Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
By Alastair Jamieson and Claudio Lavanga, NBC News
The Latin American pope’s election shattered Europe's centuries-old grip on the papacy, and his choice of name — in honor of the 12th century saint from Assisi — is widely seen as a nod to a new era of simplicity.
Lombardi said Pope Francis declined the official papal car for his first journey from the Sistine Chapel, choosing instead to board a bus with cardinals who had just elected him.
Later, at dinner, the new pope prompted laughter by responding to their toast with the remark: "May god forgive you for what you have done."
Francis returned Thursday to the church-run hostel where he had stayed ahead of the conclave and insisted on paying the bill.
"He was concerned about giving a good example of what priests and bishops should do," a Vatican spokesman said. He did not disclose how much the bill totaled. Read more.
Story: Trading in the bus for a butler: The new pope's new lifestyle
Editor's note: NBC News received this photo on March 15
Leave a Comment:
My receipt:
Mini-bar access: $17.00
Porn channel: $736.00 (Benedict XVI and his entourage stopped by)
+Francis
You're so STUPID!
Does that include the Toberlone?
I'm sorry that life has been so bad for you. It's hard to imagine going through life with such a bitter mind set.
You know nothing about this man, yet you feel compelled to write what you do. I truly hope that whatever cross you carry is lifted from your shoulders.
You're' disgusting
Amanda, my child,
I required alcohol for Holy Mass. As to the porn, I did not view any of it and I am praying this is a clerical error. I have notified VISA.
+Francis
Pope Francis as you should know the type of wine that is used for the mass is not the type that you would find in a hotel bar. This part of the bill must be an error as well.
The Pope smokes dope!
I love this Pope hope he never changes and stays strong !
.
No matter what others say or think, this is without a doubt a very strong statement made and cannot be considered overly connived, construed; just a very simple act that is a home run.
Kudos to you SeaTech for the comedial relief.
Something we would never see with King Hussein.
If you are referring to the King of Jordan, he passed away a few years ago. If you are referring to President Obama, you are out of line and out of place. Get over yourself.
King Hussein sees the never ending check book as his own.
Wow, a guy who pays his personal bills on time. Holds himself to a higher standard because of the very public position he holds. Operates with integrity without belittling others that may not agree with him.... Why can't we find candidates like this in the political arena to represent the U.S. best interest both here and abroad.
Wow.
Everybody's feeding the Trolls again, I see.
This guy gets it! Lead by example! He provides great hope for the future of the Church and appreciates the common people that he serves!
totally agree!
bencas, my child,
Do not imply to the unsaved that Holy Mother Church never "got it" before I arrived. Fall in line or face the Judgement that awaits the Society of St. Piux X and film critic, Roger Ebert.
+Francis
The Pope smokes dope!
Randy your an idiot.
bencas- yes I agree, good for us all. St Francis, wow what a choice, I love it.
Francis is humble man of God, he will bring the church back to the footsteps of Jesus.
Congratulations to our new Pope, he sounds awesome. I really admire how he has lived his life, however, I hope he will feel free to and not feel guilty about availing himself of the perks that come with the job - he has certainly earned them :)
It does make me wonder how much is a Pope paid???
No one should be showing a username of "Pope Francis" unless he really is Pope Francis. That is impersonation, not merely free speech.
He is just a newby that thinks he's cute to use the Popes name.
starbuck49, I don't think "Pope Francis" is a newbie. I think they are just someone that wanted a new moniker so that no one can look back at other things they have written.
Or a rereg. March 2013.
Impersonation is explicitly stated to be a violation of this site's Terms and Conditions.
The Pope set, and is setting, a very good example of how he would expect his Cardinals, Bishops, Padres, etc., on how to conduct themselves. The Princes of the church should pay attention, as this Pope is taking note of everything and everyone. The good life is coming to an end. Get used to it, and go about the Church's business in a humble manner.
Gotta love him. The more I read about Pope Francis, the more endearing he becomes. God bless him. Not an easy position to be in, especially since it will apparently be difficult for him to get used to the "Vatican bling". Maybe they'll exchange the 10 room suite to a 5 room, and skip the gold lining.
I might actually like this pope, and I'm an atheist. And yes I've read the bible. At least this pope is actually walking the walk. Hope he don't change.
I'm glad some people get it. Liking someone transcends religion, race, etc... Unfortunately, too many label others automatically and judge them. I hope this pope does well, he leads a religion with over a billion people. That's a lot of people who can influence our lives for better or worse.
I hope his responsibility and good example continue and that the in crowd does not change him.
You gotta love this guy. I'm Jewish-- but I see a conversion to Catholicism if this guy keeps doing what he is doing !!
If you're going to convert, don't let it be to Catholicism! No where in the Bible does it say we need a pope, or priest, or anyone to intercede for us to talk to God and be cleansed of our sins. The whole reason Jesus died for us is so that we could be free from sin and be able to be in communion with God. Just a thought..
Actually, Anony...Jesus created the papacy in Simon Peter. Peter=Cepha=Rock
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood* has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.18k And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,* and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Just an FYI.
The Pope is the successor of Peter; who was the foundation for Christ's church. And that is in the Bible.
I agree, but sometimes that is confused with Catholics worshipping the Pope. Which of course is not true, Catholics are Christians who have followed the teachings of Jesus and 'passed it along' with the church. The Catholic Church is the teachings of Jesus passed down by structure and methods that existed hundreds of years before the bible, unfortunately the teachings have always been under attack. In fact people have completely broken from the church and started other Christian religions because of dislikes or disagreements they have with some of the Catholic methods. Then we also have reform.
"...I see a conversion to Catholicism..."
So, your approval of what he does is going to provide grounds for believing that his religion is true and yours is false? On this issue, reason and reality seem to count as little or nothing with you. Before jumping from one cult to another, please consider the question of whether any of them are true. ("What do I know?" and "How do I know it?" are always valid questions.) You may find, as I do, that they are all just preposterous nonsense and that reason and reality are primary values--values to live by. In particular, their claim that you can't know how to live a human life (ethics) without religion is false; in fact, the claim comes, as religious metaethics, from inside of religion--not outside of it. Invest some time in reading and thinking about these things. You may find Richard Dawkins' book "The God Delusion" interesting, but the best, most philosophically sound, and most thorough book I know of is (link) "Atheism: The Case Against God" by George H. Smith. (There's a $10 Kindle edition too.) Our universe is a wonderful place and isn't a haunted house. Join the human discussion instead of a cult; faith is an epistemological failure, a cognitive disfunction, and, because of it's pernicious consequences for human life, a moral vice.
anony-7855701, it's a pity you don't know your Bible a bit better. Even if you HAVE read it.
"God" should have been capitalized in the quote. Just sayin'. I thought reporter were supposed to know this stuff.
Why? It wasn't the first letter in the sentence. And it wasn't specific to which god (presumably the war-god Yahweh). I think it's perfect. Hope to see more of it.
Atheist it depends on whether it is god in general or God as a specific entity. In this case it was specific and should have been capitalized.
Atheist is a zealot, with a capital Z. He also purposely does not capitalize Bible, just to be disrespectful. Easy to read such folks.
When you are referring to Christian god, God, the 'g' is capitalized because it is meant as a proper noun. Capitalization of pronouns in reference to God though is not necessary or required. You capitalize non-proper nouns and pronouns when showing reverence for the subject or person. Much like you might capitalize the word "President" in the middle of a sentence.
I am so excited about Pope Francis. I am praying for him as he asked us to do. He's a breath of fresh air for the church and his actions will hopefully bring many to Christ. I am a convert and have a lot to learn.
It's too early to tell what the Pope will bring to the Papacy but what I have seen so far it might be very interesting. Jesuits are a very different breed of Priests. They stress education and service to the poor. They are one of the orders that take a vow of poverty. No don't expect him to sell the artwork but his way of living might be very different. I hope what he has shown so far continues. If he does the opinion of what it means to be Catholic may change as well.
No offense intended, just an observation. This man is a trained chemistry student. He knows the difference between alchemy and scientific chemistry.
Presumably, then, would it be correct to say he does not really think wine changes to blood while chemically remaining the same as wine?
If he does, then that is called cognitive dissonance. It is harmless in some cases, like this I suppose, but not so harmless in others.
Why is transubstantiation not objectional to people of faith?
Because people of faith are just that. However, you ought to check out and Google "Eucharistic Miracles". NO one has been able to explain them, and they have been tested in blind studies in labs around the world. You see, at times when faith is most difficult to grasp, God provides a smattering of 'proof' for the skeptic (like you may be)...there's a Scripture that is helpful here: "I believe; Lord help my unbelief." In other words, if you can try to hold even the most small amount of belief in the miraculous, God will open your eyes, mind, and heart to the impossible of the supernatural.
Prayers for you and all who need Him now, more than ever. God Bless your journey.
I guess for those who believe it, it's kinda like on Bewitched when Endora would turn Darren into an aardvark or kumquat or whatever. It has the molecular and chemical and whatever make-up of an aardvark or a kumquat or whatever, but it's completely Darren, physically, psychologically and emotionally (and whatever).
Still, as an Atheist myself, I thought it was a rather neat gesture for the pope to do - insisting on paying his own hotel bill. I just hope he didn't use the honors' bar/refrigerator and take a can of Diet Coke or a bag of peanuts or a Kit-Kat bar (or whatever). That, in itself, would've doubled the bill (if not more than whatever).
Atheist you are misinformed of what transubstantiation is. In Catholic doctrine, the wine and bread become in essence Christ's blood and body. Look into substance theory. Basically the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist are Jesus' body and blood but their accidental properties are still that of bread and wine.
An atheist may call this a cop out since you can't prove or disprove this through the use of observation available to the human senses.
How refreshing to see the newly elected Pope trying to stay true to his roots. I am not Catholic, but have to admire his humble attitude and hope he stays this way.
Sounds like someone occupying our WH should take notes and do the same as the new Pope. Don't live off others. Pay your own way.
This Pope is indeed a breath of fresh air, and as head of an institution that needs some airing I hope and pray that his reign is a long one. It appears that Pope Francis not only talks the talk but walks the walk. As a recovering Catholic I see hope for a church that has for a very long time been more interested in protecting the institution than administering to the flock. I am sure that he will face a political battle in the years to come with the old guard, but based on what I see so far, he has a good chance of success.
Did he get his AARP discount?
I'm proud to say I'm a Catholic! I know my comment will be bashed by others on this board...but I'm so happy and excited that Pope Francis is the new leader of our Church! He reminds me a bit of John Paul I...the "October Pope" who died after 33 days as Pontiff. Like JP the First, I think Pope Francis is a humble, gentle man who is already putting his brand on the papacy. I like what he has said to the cardinals about how they should lead by example, and I think he will really try to correct some of the wrongs from the past years.
I will never bash you. I will destroy any bad ideas you might write, such is the American way. But tackling claims via writing is not the same as attacking a person.
All I can say is if you were born into Catholicism then much like patriotism, I don't really get how you could be proud of something you had no control over. What kind of pride results from sheer happenstance? I don't get it.
And lastly, as far as correcting some of the wrongs of past years, well, I'm afraid that's impossible considering many kids committed suicide from the pain of being raped by so-called celibate priests.
Atheist - "All I can say is if you were born into Catholicism then much like patriotism, I don't really get how you could be proud of something you had no control over. What kind of pride results from sheer happenstance? I don't get it."
What you don't get is people have a choice to remain with that religion. Much like people (most) have a choice in what country they live in. You do know people can convert to Catholicism right? You do know that the final rite that makes a person Catholic is called confirmation and it happens when a person is old enough to make their own choices.
And like JP I, he'll be gone within a year.
Oh Ritterjager! How silly you are! A kid makes his/her confirmation in grade school. That child is still under the influence of the parents and has no choice! If the church REALLY wanted people to make their own decisions, they would have confirmation at age 18. If your kid came to you at 12 and said, "I don't want to be confirmed.", would you really let him/her not do it?
You are incorrect, Mrs. Wilbert. Most Catholic confirmations are made in eighth grade and now, very commonly in tenth grade. The confirmation candidate goes through two years of formation and then some serious contemplation. In my parish they are required to write a letter to the bishop explaining why they wish to be confirmed. It is no lonfer a "check the box" type of thing.
Get ready, people...this is who Pope Francis is! What a humble, down-to-earth man has been chosen! I'm happy to have experienced several wonderful Popes in my lifetime: Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and now Pope Francis (I).
Pax et Bonum, Papa Benedict et Papa Francis
These photo ops are getting old already Frankie.
I am not catholic; but I like this man. He is clearly a man of God. He knows Christ's teachings and has internalized them as exemplified by his life style and persoanl conduct. We can all learn many things form this Pope.
My wife is from Argentina; she drinks mate too. I never have gotten used to its bitter taste. It must be healthy, gonna give it another try!!! Salute!!!
How do you know he's a man of God? I mean how do you REALLY know? Has he given an in-depth interview? Do you know him personally? NO! Don't speak unless you know for sure. I don't know if he is or isn't, but no one can say for sure unless he/she really knows him.
I'm not sure if he's the best pick, but everyone does have a little baggage. ...also, did anyone see the funny swimsuit image of the Pope on Milk the Bull???!
..