Vatican Spokesman ‘Shocked’ at Jesuit Choice for Pope

Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Vatican, says that he is ‘shocked’ at the choice of a Jesuit, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, to be the new Pope.

Lombardi, a Jesuit himself, told Vatican Radio that Jesuits “have an international vision, to serve wherever they are needed” and that “Jesuits think of themselves servants, not authorities in the church.”

Lombardi portrayed the new Pope as a man who cooks for himself and uses public transportation — a real “man of the people.”

Bergoglio, who was known as “Padre Jorge” in his native Argentina, may be a progressive figure in the church. His election wasn’t just surprising for his membership in the Society of Jesus; only time will tell just how forward-thinking Pope Francis I will be.