Habemus Papam – Francisc I and the compulsively genuflecting world media

Aceste poezii traduse in limba engleza fac parte din volumul „Testament – Anthology of Romanian Verse – Bilingual Edition” (Daniel Ionita, Minerva 2012). Dorim ca prin aceste articole sa promovam frumoasa poezia romaneasca pentru cititorii de limba engleza. Puteti sa dati „Share” acestor articole catre prietenii dvs. de limba engleza. Gasiti mai multe informatii la sfarsitul acestui articol. Va multumim! Daniel Ionita & Intercer

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Since Wednesday the 1.2 million Roman-Catholics have a new pope, Francis I, or Jorge Mario Bergoglio, by his original name. I continue to be mildly amused by the clamouring of the various media to compulsively praise, and make him a hero and a saint of Jorge Mario already… Sure enough, apparently he gave up his cardinal palace and lived in a flat, gave up his limousine and driver and used public transport, a man of the people and fighting for social justice. All true, I am sure, and good on him. Few dissenting voices here, the New York Times being one, who points out that while he was eager to stand up to the leftist government in Argentina on issues such as contraception, and gay marriage (not something I commend him for), he has essentially silent during the 1970ies when the military dictatorship killed and made dissapear tens of thousands of opponents in a level of repression rarely seen anywhere else, including the former communist block. So, maybe cool off a bit, all you genuflecting compulsive praisers out there. Wait and see what will happen, and what, in fact Jorge Mario Bergoglio will be doing, if anything, as pope.