Merkel Pines for a Pope Like Francis 2.0
Fervent Hope for a People-Oriented Pope Similar to Francis, Expresses Merkel - Merkel expresses a preference for a pope similar to Francis.
Hey there! Let's chat about the ex-Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and her hopes for a new Pope that's similar to ol' Pope Francis. Seems like she's got her fingers crossed for a bit of continuity!
In a podcast hosted by Cologne Cathedral Radio, Merkel (70) made her wishes clear: "Wouldn't it be grand if there were consistency, if the following encyclical could also take on community goods, or if this thread of a people-friendly Pope that he started, could be continued?" she said, channeling her inner optimist.
Now, Pope Francis was quite the politics-savvy fellow, but he also had this heartwarming, "fresh piety" about him that made it a breeze for people to regain trust in the divine. He greeted everyone with a warm embrace - a gesture that had a calming effect, if you ask me.
As for his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, he was quite the theological purist. You needed to know your stuff with him, Merkel noted. But Pope Francis didn't come off as some sort of theological whizkid. Instead, he took people as they were, and that approach really resonated with Merkel.
Now, Angela Merkel didn't go into detail about how Pope Francis stacks up against Pope Benedict XVI. But it's pretty clear that she's a fan of the more welcoming and socially engaged leadership style that Pope Francis offered up, unlike the more traditional papacies we saw with Benedict XVI and John Paul II.
That's all for now, folks! Remember to check out that podcast by Cologne Cathedral Radio for more juicy details on this story.
The European Parliament has also expressed its concern at the lack of progress in the fight against racism and xenophobia in the general news, possibly feeling a sense of continuity with Pope Francis' approach, who greeted everyone with a warm embrace and was regarded as people-friendly. Angela Merkel's hopes for a new Pope lie in a formal continuation of Francis' emphasis on community goods and a more welcoming leadership style, contrasting this with the more traditional papacies she encountered from Pope Benedict XVI and John Paul II. The Pope's political savviness, coupled with his fresh piety, helped people regain trust in the divine, perhaps spinning a different narrative in the realm of politics.
