Do you remember where you were when you heard that the first Jesuit Pope had been elected? I do.

I was somewhere between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Mich., heading to Chicago for a school presidents’ meeting. I had to pull over to the side of the road because my phone was lighting up with calls and texts. One of the things I was asked was, “He took the name Francis—does that mean Xavier?” and I remember texting back to say, “No, I’ll bet it’s Francis of Assisi!” And it was!

I had heard of Jorge Bergoglio–the Archbishop of Buenos Aires who used public transportation and lived in a working-class neighborhood (not the Episcopal mansion). He had a reputation—a good one.

But I was shocked that he was elected pope. Among my brothers, I do not think a single one ever thought there would be a Jesuit pope. In fact, our own constitutions would almost prohibit that from happening. And yet…

The question I am most often asked today is, “What kind of a pope is Francis?” First, I suggest that Francis is a man of the Spiritual Exercises; in his words and actions, he is truly a companion of Jesus. I also like to answer the question by calling to mind two of the best-known founders of the Church, Saints Peter and Paul.

Our Church in Peter’s view would have maintained the Jewish traditions, the dietary practices, and so forth. He believed that to be a follower of Jesus, you had to be Jewish. Peter’s vision connects us and anchors us completely in Salvation History, retaining the idea of a Messiah who atones for our sins. Our sacramental system comes from our Jewish roots. We would not be the Church we are today if we were disconnected from the atonement and sacramental theology inherent in these roots.

Paul on the other hand believed that the Church should open the doors to Gentiles, inviting them to be a part of the Christian Church. Paul saw God’s vision for the Church as universal, and believed that Salvation is for everyone, Jewish or not. His would be a larger Church, more open, and more representative. I believe that if Peter had won the day, the church would have been limited; it would have declined, and perhaps withered away, in Jerusalem. And we would not be today’s universal Church if Paul had not pushed to open the doors widely to others.

Of the recent popes, Benedict strikes me as a Peter type of pope, and Francis as a Paul type of pope. We need both types of popes in the Church.

The beautiful thing about our Catholic theology is that it defines the welcome that we are called to give—and to receive. I have written about this in a short booklet called A Place at the Table, which I invite you to download at this link: www.jesuitsmidwest.org/table

Take your time to linger in these pages, seeing all that is going on in our Midwest Jesuit Province as we consider the papacy and legacy of Francis, the (first) Jesuit pope!

Yours in Christ,