In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, a name chosen in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a saint known for the devotion to poverty. I vote that the Pontiff took early in life dedicated to the church.
“Symbology is very strong. This symbology was not his as an opportunistic way, because he did it as a bishop and then archbishop in Buenos Aires,” says the philosopher and scientist of religion.
To the CNN Interviews Cortella also pointed out that Pope Francis’ decision for a simple life had a message.
“He carried his own folder, he paid his bill. When he decides, like the Pope, that he won’t live inside the wall, that he goes to the other space, he gives a message there,” Cortella tells CNN .
Cortella said simplicity was Francis’ legacy since the Argentine became Pope, abandoning the apostolic palace and traditional red shoes, and even after death, when he asked for a simple tomb, without special decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus.
“He went through all the positions that would be needed to get to the top. And therefore he had a message. This message continues with him after death in the symbols he left, means: who comes after me, beware not to have an exaggerated ostentation. Whoever comes after me, do not forget the message.”
Cortella still remembers the poverty of the birth of the baby Jesus.
“We talked about someone who was born in a manger, who was in a poor family who proposed the sharing of all goods, who spoke of welcoming people, whether foreign or not, whether with some difficulty or not, whether man or female.”
The philosopher points out that religions, in general, have a level of spectacularization, with large temples.
“Religion is a phenomenon, something that comes up, but that needs to make the invisible absolutely visible. And the way to make visible the invisible is not to show it. And the way not to show it is to bring symbols. Hence the colors, the signs, the objects, the ceremonies,” explains the philosopher.
Cortella uses as an example the conclave itself. “When you mention a conclave, of course it gets a mysterious look. The first idea is what is done inside a closed place. Second, a series of secular rules and rites,” he says.
He concludes: “By the time the cardinals come in, they do not enter the same order, it has to do with the posture and position it occupies within the Vatican. All this is very strong. Structures of organizations that are linked to hierarchy, such as the military, has their symbols, their awards, the need for you to have the brand all the time.”
This content was originally published in Cortella: Pope Francis’ decision for simple life was a message on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
