Why Pope Francis is Similar to Jesus? - Research Paper

Introduction

Pope Francis engenders a Papal style that is unrivaled by a majority of Popes. This is mainly because the manner of executing his mandate to people has a similar connotation to the one utilized by Jesus Christ. His wonderful demeanor and cheerful nature enables him to relate well to individuals from all walks of life. He demonstrates good leadership abilities that other leaders in the contemporary society can adopt in the course of administering their duties. In addition to this, he showcases great piety which is idealistic to people`s expectations from a pope. Some of the ways that this leader is similar to Jesus involve his humility, the devotion towards helping other people in addition to his loving nature and his approachability.

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During his inauguration, one of the most notable qualities of Pope Francis is his humility. Unlike his predecessors, it is apparent that he came out adorned in plain vestments. His flock noted that he did not make an effort to impress by wearing the mozetta cover commonly placed on the Pope`s should to symbolize power (Dallas News, "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility"). In a similar way, Jesus clearly demonstrated humility in the course of his ministry. In Mark 11, For example, during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, he rode on a donkey despite being a leader. This showed that he was a humble and modest person. In another incident during the last supper, Jesus washed all of his disciples' feet. He was doing this in a bid to show them the importance of humility. In 2013, during Holy Thursday, Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 criminals, including two ladies, one of whom included a Serbian Muslim (Dallas News, "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility"). This is an act that no pope has ever performed before and it is also similar to what Jesus did.

Additional demonstrations of Jesus` humility pertained to his lifestyle. He lived in humble dwellings during his entire ministry as opposed to lavish houses which Kings and other senior subjects dwelt in. Correspondingly, Pope Francis declined the offer of living in opulent apartments specifically meant for the Pope (Dallas News, "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility"). Instead, he preferred to live amongst laymen and other members of the clergy. He chose not to live a lifestyle of luxury which would involve him distancing himself from the rest of the congregation. He deemed it fit to live in a manner that would enable him to interact with others rather than staying in isolation (Francis 24). The pope has also chosen to ride in simple vehicles contrary to his predecessors who were driven in the fortified Mercedes (Dallas News, "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility"). Concurrently Jesus walked like a layman while spreading the Gospel to people, he viewed other individuals as his equals.

Jesus performed many acts of mercy during his messianic era. For example, during one of his missions, he healed a demon-possessed man (Matthew 8:16). In another incident, he healed a great multitude of people, some of whom were crippled, blind, and lame (Matthew 15:30). Pope Francis, on the other hand, exemplifies the life of Jesus by performing acts of kindness and helping the underprivileged individuals in society. For example, in 2014, he spearheaded the installation of showers in the public restrooms at the Vatican which were meant for the homeless individuals (Lowney 33). In a number of occasions, the Pope has also worked towards assisting needy individuals in the slums. A good example of such an event occurred during his visit to Brazil. He opted to visit Gaza Strip, one of the most impoverished slums as he offered help to the needy individuals (Dallas News, "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility").

One of the ways that Jesus and Pope Francis are similar involves the idea that both are loving judging from the fact that the former used to interact freely with the poor. For example, in 2013, the Pope sent out an invitation to 200 homeless individuals and dined with them while offering gifts to each of the individuals (Dallas News, "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility"). In 2 Corinthians 8:9, it is evident that Jesus was greatly concerned about the poor. He also felt great compassion for the poor individuals as it has clearly been written in Matthew 9:36. Further still, he took the initiative of feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish (Matthew 14:13-21). This was because of the great compassion he felt towards the poor individuals who did not have anything to eat. The Pope loves his congregants and this explains why he chooses to live close to them and interact freely with every person he comes across, irrespective of his social status within the society. Jesus used the same approach in the course of his ministry.

Conclusion

Based on the above illustrations one can clearly observe why Pope Francis` lifestyle is identical to the one led by Jesus Christ. His piety is equaled to that demonstrated by Christ. Besides, the Pope is humble and opts to live a modest life different from the one led by those who served before he assumed office. Jesus similarly chose to ride on a donkey during his entry into Jerusalem; an act that depicts humility. In addition, the Pope is always open to assisting people in need just like Jesus used to. He visits slums and offers food and other gifts to the needy. Jesus healed the sick and also fed the hungry. The love demonstrated by the two individuals is also unrivaled. Jesus felt pity for the poor and chose to assist them. The Pope also holds the same ideal and at one point he even chose to invite needy people and fed them at the Vatican. There is, hence, no doubt whatsoever that Pope Francis is similar to Jesus.

Notes

For more information on Humility, see The Dallas Morning News https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2013/07/30/pope-francis-acts-of-humilitySee Luke 14:11, for more details on the essence of humility

See Luke Chapter 9, to get more exclusive details of Jesus` humility.

To get more details on the humility of Jesus, see Mark 11.

To obtain additional details on the Pope`s kindness, see The Daily Campus http://www.smudailycampus.com/opinion/pope-francis-brings-hope-through-acts-of-kindness:

Works Cited

Dallas News. "Pope Francis: Acts of Humility". The Washington Post. July 2013.

Francis, Pope. Laudato si: On care for our common home. Our Sunday Visitor, 2015.

Lowney, Chris. Pope Francis: Why he leads the way he leads. Loyola Press, 2013.

The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan House, 1984.