Impact of a new pope.

Wednesday evening, 115 sequestered Catholic cardinals voted in a new pope (New York Times, March 13, 2013). The former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, hails from Argentina and is the first non-European pope in 1,200 years. He represents the Latin American church and also the Catholic church south of the equator—its fastest-growing region.

Seen as warm and open, Pope Francis is not charismatic but is known for his quiet and demure demeanor, his humility and his simple lifestyle. He is also a social conservative from what some view as the most religiously conservative Catholic nation in Latin America (Miami Herald, March 4, 2013). Cardinal Bergoglio, who has Italian roots, chose the name Pope Francis after an Italian patron saint, Francis of Assisi (CBS, March 13, 2013).

This new “Pope of the People” has his work cut out for him as he inherits a global church plagued with internal struggles, intrigue, and sexual scandals. Exactly what kind of an impact a quiet and humble man can have on a global church with entrenched politics remains to be seen.

One thing is certain, Pope Francis leads a church that is actively seeking the return of its wayward daughters (Isaiah 47:8). He also leads a great church that is prophesied to lead the future King of the North or Beast that will arise in Europe (Revelation 13 and 17). For more on the future of the Roman church, read our article “A Return to Rome?”