Pope Francis has the power to cope with the crisis in the Catholic Church, and thinks the Church needs “revitalization,” the pope’s sister Maria Elena Bergoglio told RT.
However, the new pontiff can’t do it alone, and believers should
support him with prayer as well as action, Bergoglio
explained.
“He, as well as other Cardinals, was of the opinion that the
Church needed ‘revitalization,’” she told RT, adding that many
changes have been planned.
Asked whether Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had wanted to
become pope, his sister said, “As far as I know, he
didn’t.”
Her remarks came as the new pontiff met with the cardinals of the Catholic Church ahead of his inauguration on Tuesday – an event which is expected to draw thousands of believers to the Vatican.
Pope Francis, formerly Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, is the first
Latin American to become pope in the Church’s 2,000-year
history.
He is also believed to have been the runner-up in the 2005 vote
in which Pope Benedict XVI was anointed.
Pope Francis is known for his work with the poor. In 2001, when
he was made a cardinal, he told his followers not to waste their
money on plane tickets to Rome to see him installed, urging them to
give it to those in need.
The new pontiff also led a campaign, though it was deemed
unsuccessful, against the Argentinian leadership’s efforts to
legalize gay marriage and promote free contraception.