To the contrary, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., henceforth known as Pope Francis, has managed to hang onto a number of good ideas. Let's review some ideas manifested in the first few days of his papacy:
The meaning of the name "Francis": A viewing of the film Brother Sun, Sister Moon would perhaps be in order. Francis of Assisi stunned his nominally Catholic world around the year 1200 by his witness to Jesus in his poverty, simplicity, humility, peaceful spirit and joy. All of us could stand to re-imagine our lives in accord with the example of this singular figure in the history of the People of God.
The power of silence: How good it is to be quiet together. And so we were, wherever we were (my car, in my case) when Pope Francis called for quiet as we prepared to pray with him as he introduced himself to the world on March 13.
How to speak to the world: Prepared texts are not extinct, and there is always need for the reflection which produces a forceful bit of writing. We know, however, that the custom of reading from a text tends to be wearying upon all of us who are consumers of the current communications media. People with questions about what to believe in this confusing world respond to those who speak from their heart. This is precisely what we have witnessed from the new pope. Those of us who exercise the duty of preaching cannot ignore this example.
Respect for the consciences of individuals: On Saturday, March 16, Pope Francis spoke with journalists who cover the Vatican for media outlets around the world. Stressing that the phenomenon of "faith" is the proper means by which to interpret events in a church which has "its virtues and its sins," he concluded his remarks with a blessing, acknowledging: "Given that many of you do not belong to the Catholic Church, and others are nonbelievers, I give from my heart this blessing, in silence, to each of you, respecting the conscience of each, but knowing that each of you is a child of God." (Over the days since March 13, we have all read and heard of our new pope's friendly ties with Jews, Muslims, and non-Catholic Christians.)
Finally, we see the importance of humor, which is not simply a joke in the "funny papers," but which is ultimately rooted in a deep love for humanity. As we continue to survey the "big small world" with Pope Francis shepherding, let us appreciate the blessing of this man in our midst, and recognize that we, too, have ideas and much, much more to give.