The new pope has been chosen; he will be known as Pope Francis.
The pope was selected by cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy last Wednesday.
In a special meeting known as a “conclave,” the cardinals voted to elect Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina to be the new pope.
The pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and its more than a billion followers around the world. It is the first time a pope from Latin America has been chosen.
The new pope was chosen after the last pope, Pope Benedict XVI, resigned. It was the first time in 600 years a pope had resigned.
It is customary for the chosen cardinal to select a name he will use when he is pope. In this case, Bergoglio chose Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, who was known for his work with the poor.
No other pope has ever chosen the name Francis before.
The new pope chose the name during the conclave when it looked like the votes were going in his favour and he would be the one elected. A cardinal said to him, “don’t forget the poor.” That inspired him to choose Francis as his name.
CNN, a news website, says the new pope is “a lover of the poor.” He is also concerned with people who live on the fringe of society or who are facing injustice.
Francis is 76 years old. He was born in Buenos Aires and trained to be a chemist before he decided to become a priest instead.
According to Argentina’s state news agency, Telam, the new pope loves tango and is a big soccer fan.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Jonathan Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
Pope Francis is not only the first South American pope, he is also the first non-European pope. Does this appointment send a message to the rest of the world? If so, what message does this send to Catholics around the world? What message does it send to the rest of the world?
Reading Prompt: Demonstrating Understanding
This article describes a lot of “firsts.” Reread today’s article and make a list of “Firsts.”
Primary
Demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by identifying important ideas and some supporting details (OME, Reading: 1.4).
Junior
Demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by summarizing important ideas and citing supporting details (OME, Reading: 1.4).
Intermediate
Demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex texts by summarizing important ideas and citing a variety of details that support the main idea (OME, Reading: 1.4).
Grammar Feature: Verb Tenses
In this article, different tenses are used to describe events that happened in the past, that are happening in the present, and there is even one mention of the future (it’s a tricky one – you’ll have to read carefully).
Make three columns. Read through the article and list all the verbs that are in the past tense in the first column; in the present tense in the second column; and put the verb that’s in the future tense in the third column.
