Pope Francis declares: 'I would like to see a church that is poor and is for the poor'

[Jordan]

Ya ..in fact, I'm sure that will happen ...

As he walked on to the stage of the Vatican's vast Paul VI audience hall on Saturday, Pope Francis was still wearing the white cassock, plain crucifix and black shoes that have characterised his fledgling papacy's pared-down aesthetic.

In his first encounter with the thousands of weary journalists who have been covering the Vatican in recent action-packed weeks, the first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff endeared himself to them by expressing gratitude for their labours. "You've been working, eh?", he chuckled, in the informal style that is fast becoming his trademark.

But some of the loudest applause from the audience was reserved for when the man of simple habits explained why he had chosen to name himself after St Francis of Assisi, the saint who devoted his life to peace and the poor.

In conclave, the Argentinian said, when the votes were being counted and things seemed to be becoming – in his own words "a bit dangerous" – the cardinal sitting next to him, an old friend from Brazil, embraced him and said: "Don't forget the poor." Continued...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/16/pope-francis-church-poverty

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Pope Francis calls for intensified dialogue with Muslims

Quote:

"VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Friday (March 22) called for more intense dialogue between religious leaders, particularly Muslims, as he tries to recalibrate relations between the world’s two largest religious groups."

SOURCE