Thursday, March 14, 2013

With Francis, 'we'll have to get used to a new way of doing things'

The Vatican, an age-old institution used to having almost everything done by the book, is bracing for the unscripted papacy.

In less than 24 hours after he became the first non-European pope in some 1,300 years, Francis seemed to break more rules than his predecessor did in eight years.

"We are going to have to get used to a new way of doing things," said Father Tom Rosica, an amiable Canadian priest who runs a Catholic television station in Canada and was drafted to Rome to help with the media influx during the papal transition.

Indeed, the first words out of Francis' mouth after he became pope sent a signal that things would be different.

He did not start by using the customary "Praised be Jesus Christ" or "Dear brothers and sisters", but employed a much more familiar and inviting "Buona Sera" - good evening in Italian - to address drenched crowds in a rain-swept St. Peter's Square.

"I was stunned by what happened last night. I didn't expect a pontificate to begin with 'Buona Sera,'" Rosica said.

"We have to have patience, we are starting something new. There are a lot of things we don't know yet," said Father Federico Lombardi, the chief Vatican spokesman, as he faced a barrage of reporters' questions about what to expect.

Even before he delighted the crowds with his unorthodox style on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis give a hint of a new style to his fellow cardinals.