Francis: Di traditional Pope from Latin America wey change di Catholic Church

Francis papacy don cause many firsts and even though e kontinu to dey introduce reforms to di Catholic Church, e still dey popular among traditionalists.

E be di first pope from di Americas or di Southern Hemisphere. Since di Syrian born Gregory III wey die for 741, den neca get non-European Bishop of Rome.

E also be di first Jesuit wey go dey elected to di throne of St Peter. Dem din dey look Jesuits dem one kain for Rome.

Di pipo wey come bifor Francis, Benedict XVI na di first pop wey go retire by imself in almost 600 years. So for almost ten years, di Vatican Gardens bin get two popes.

As Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina, e bin alreadi enta im seventies wen e bicom Pope for 2013.

Many Catholics bin tink say di new pope go be younger man.

Bergoglio bin emerge as compromise candidate as conservatives like am becos of im orthodox views on sexual mata and reformers like im liberal position on social justice.

E bin hope say im unorthodox background go ginger di Vatican and renew im holy mission.

But inside di Vatican long process mean say some pipo no gree wit Francis attempts to reform and im predecessor wey die for 2022 remain popular among traditionalists.

Determined to dey different

From di time of im election, Francis bin show say e go do tins differently. Im receive im cardinals informally and stand instead of to siddon for di papal throne.

For 13 March, 2013, Pope Francis comot for di balcony ova di St Peter Square.

E wear white, e bear new name wey pay homage to St Francis of Assisi, wey be di 13th Century preacher wey be animal lover.

E tanda say e go go for humility pass gra-gra. E shun di papal limousine and insist say e go share di bus wey carry di oda cardinals go house.

Di new Pope set moral mission for di 1.2 billion member of di church. E say "Oh how I go like a poor Church and for di poor".

Jorge Mario Bergoglio bin dey born for Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 17 December 1936 as di oldest out of five children. Im parents run comot dia native Italy to escape di evil of fascism.

E enjoy tango dancing and becom supporter for im local football club, San Lorenzo.

E bin dey lucky afta e survive one serious case of pneumonia wey im face wey make am do surgery wey dem comot part of im lung. Dis make am open to infections for di rest of im life.

As old man, e don also face pain for im right knee wey im call "physical humiliation".

Young Bergoglio bin work as nightclub bouncer and floor sweeper, bifor im graduate as chemist.

For one local factory, im bin work wit Esther Ballestrino, wey bin campaign against Argentina military dictatorship. Dem torture her and dem neva see her bodi.

E become Jesuit, wey study philosophy and bin dey teach literature and psychology. Dem ordain am a decade later and e come get sharp sharp promotion to bicom provincial supervisor for Argentina for 1973.

Accusations

Some bin feel say e no do enof to oppose di generals wey bin dey run Argentina brutal military regime.

E bin dey accused say im get hand for di military kidnapping of two priests during di Argentina Dirty War, wen thousands of pipo bin dey tortured or killed or disappear from 1976 to 1983.

Dem torture di two priests but dem later find dem alive even though dem dey half naked and heavily sedated.

Bergoglio bin face charges say im no tell authorities say dia work for poor neighbourhoods bin dey endorsed by di Church. If na true, e for don leave dem for death squads. But Francis deny am say e bin dey work behind di scenes to free dem.

E say why e no tok come outside na becos e bin dey too difficult. True-true at di age of 36 years old, e bin find imself for kasala wey go shake even di most experienced leaders. E definitely help plenti wey bin wan run out of di kontri.

E bin get kasala wit fellow Jesuits wey believe Bergogolio bin no get interest in di liberation theology wey be collabo of Christian thought and Marxist sociology wey wan overthrow justice. But im prefer to do gentle form of pastoral support.

Sometimes, di relationship bin spoil. Wen e bin wan become Pope for 2005, some Jesuits bin dey relieved.

A man of simple tastes

Dem name am Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires for 1992 and den turn Archbishop.

Pope John Paul II make am cardinal for 2001 and e take up position for di Church civil service wey dem call di Curia.

E develop reputation as man wey get simple tastes. E bin normally dey fly economy and prefer to wear di black gown of priest instead of di red and purple wey im position call for.

Im sermons call for social inclusion and criticise goments wey fail to pay attention to di poorest for society.

E say, "we live for di most unequal part of di world wey don grow to di most but don reduce di misery for di least."

As Pope, e work hard to heal di thousand year quarrel wit di Eastern Orthodox Chruch. In recognition for di first time since di Great Schism of 1054 wen di Patriarch of Constantinople go di installation of a new Bishop of Rome.

Francis bin work wit Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists and ginger di Israeli and Palestinian presidents to join am to pray for peace.

Afta attacks by Muslim militants, e say e no dey right to identify Islam wit violence. E declare say, "if I tok of Islamic violence, I gatz tok of Catholic violence too".

Politically im join imself wit di Argentine goment claim for di Falklands, as im tell one service say, "we come to pray for those wey don fall, sons of di homeland wey comot to defend dia mam, di homeland, to claim kontri wey be dia own".

And as Spanish speaking Latin American, e become mediator wen di US goment bin wan cause historic hate wit Cuba. E dey difficult to imagine say European Pope go play dat kain diplomatic role.

Traditionalist

On many of di Church teachings, Pope Francis na traditionalist.

Im dey "as uncompromising as Pope John Paul II... on euthanasia, di death penalty, abortion, di right to life, human rights and di celibacy of priests", according to Monsignor Osvaldo Musto, wey dey seminary wit am dat time.

E say make di Church welcome pipo regardless of dia sexual orientation, but insist say gay adoption na form of discrimination against children.

E get warm words in favour of some kind of same-sex unions for gay couples, but Francis no favour to call am marriage. Dis, e say, go be "attempt to destroy God plan".

Shortly afta e become Pope in 2013, e take part in an anti-abortion march for Rome - calling for rights of di unborn "from di moment of conception".

E call on gynaecologists to check dia conscience and send message to Ireland - as dem hold a referendum on di mata - begging pipo to protect di weak.

E resist di ordination of women, declaring say Pope John Paul II bin no approve am.

And, although e bin first gree say to allow contraception fit be somtin to prevent disease, e praise Paul VI teaching on issue - wey warn say e fit reduce women to instruments of male satisfaction.

In 2015, Pope Francis tell one audience for di Philippines say contraception involve "di destruction of di family through du privation of children".

Tackling child abuse

Di biggest wahala for im papacy come in two wey be di pipo wey accuse am say e no handle di child abuse and di conservatives wey feel like e dey dilute di faith.

Dem bin hold am for mind say im bin wan allow divorced and remarried Catholics to fit take communion.

Conservatives also use di mata of child abuse to take do dia long campaign.

For August 2018, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, wey be former Apostolic Nuncio to di US release 11 page declaration of war. E release letter wey describe one series of warnings to di Vatican on top how one former cardinal, Thomas McCarrick.

E allege say McCarrick na serial abuser wey attack both adults and minors. Archbishop Viganò say di Pope bin make am "trusted councillor" even though e know say im dey very corrupted. E say di solution na for Pope Francis to resign.

Dis kasala almost consume di Church and by February 2019, dem finally defrock McCarrick afta investigation by di Vatican.

During di Covid pandemic, Francis cancel im regular appearances for St Peter's Square so di virus no go spread. E bin also declare say to collect vaccine na universal responsibility.

For 2022, e become di first Pope for ova 1000 years wey go bury im predecessor afta Benedict die for di age of 95.

By now, e get im own health problems - wit many hospital visits. But Francis bin dey determined say e go kontinu wit im efforts to promote global peace and inter-religious dialogue.

For 2023, e go on pilgrimage to South Sudan, as im ask di kontri leaders to end im conflict.

E appeal to end di "absurd and cruel war" for Ukraine even though e disappoint Ukrainians as e bin look like e dey swallow Russia propaganda message say dem provoke dem to invade.

One year later go four kontris two continent odyssey as im stop for Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio enta di throne of St Peter to change am.

Some pipo dey wey for prefer more liberal leader and critics go point to im alleged weakness in handling di institution legacy for clerical sexual abuse. But e sha change am.

E appoint ova 140 cardinals from non-European kontris and go give im successor Church wey get more global outlook dan wetin e be wen e enta.

To lead by example e no gree stay for di Vatican Apostolic Palace wey get di Sistine Chapel but stay for di modern block wey Pope John Paul II bin build as a guest house.

E believe anytin else go be vanity. E say, "look peacock, e dey beautiful for front. But if you look am for back, you go see di truth."

E also hope say e fit shake di Church imself and enhance di historic mission by say e cut through di internal wahala and to focus on di poor and return di Church give di pipo.

E tok afta im election say "we need to avoid di spiritual sickness of Church wey just dey in dia own world."

"If I need to choose between wounded Church wey dey go out to di streets and sick, withdrawn Church, na di first one I go choose."