Miserando atque Eligendo

He entered the conclave as Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio; he has left as Pope Francis.

In his opening address he asked for our prayers; so let us pray, beloved readership, for our new Holy Father (prayer taken from New Advent):

TRADITIONAL PRAYER (LATIN) 

V. Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Francisco
R. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.

Pater Noster, Ave Maria

Deus, omnium fidelium pastor et rector, famulum tuum Francisco, quem pastorem Ecclesiæ tuæ præesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quæsumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus præest, proficere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.

TRADITIONAL PRAYER (ENGLISH)

V. Let us pray for Francis, our Pope.
R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Our Father, Hail Mary

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Francis, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

His episcopal motto (which, I presume, he would retain as Pope) is, Miserando atque eligendo, taken from Homily 30 [not 21, as previously attested; I'm sure that disturbed you] by Saint Bede the Venerable.

Jesús vio a un hombre, llamado Mateo, sentado ante la mesa de cobro de los impuestos, y le dijo: "Sígueme". Lo vio más con la mirada interna de su amor que con los ojos corporales. Jesús vio al publicano, y lo vio con misericordia y eligiéndolo (miserando atque eligendo), y le dijo Sígueme, "Sígueme", que quiere decir: "Imítame". Le dijo "Sígueme", más que con sus pasos, con su modo de obrar. Porque, quien dice que está siempre en Cristo debe andar de continuo como él anduvo.

My Spanish is paltry, but here is an attempt (let my readers correct me):

Jesus saw a man named Matthew, seated before the table of the tax collectors and He said to him: "Follow Me."  He saw him more with the interior vision of His love than with bodily eyes.  Jesus saw the publican, and He saw him with mercy and deciding for Him, He said to him, Follow Me.  "Follow Me," that is to say: "Imitate Me."  He said to him "Follow Me," more than with your footsteps, but with your manner of life.  Therefore, whoever says that he is always in Christ ought to walk continually as He walked.

For more information, consult the website Heraldica en la Argentina.

"With mercy and decision": we might say that mercy is Jesus' decision on mankind's behalf, especially upon the poorest of sinners.  His Sacred Heart (perhaps the favorite devotion of the Jesuits) is at once the source of divine compassion and choice.  We can be sure that Pope Francis (Xavier? of Assisi? de Sales?) is operating (modo de obrar) from this point of departure.

Francis used the word "camino" several times in his opening address.  "Journey," "Way": St. Teresa of Avila once said, "The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too."  Our new Holy Father is joining us as a fellow pilgrim.

May all his patrons, his angels, and Our Blessed Lady intercede for him in the days, weeks, months, and years that we will profit from his governance.


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Since the original composition of this post I was led to an article from Carol Glatz of Catholic News Service regarding the origin of Pope Francis' episcopal motto.  It is worth reading.