Loud cheers, waving of flags and a burst of manic energy waving through the crowd in St. Peter’s Square met the sight of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney and an announcement to the crowd of “Habemus Papam.”
The smoke began to billow at 7:08pm local time (1:08pm U.S. Central Daylight Time) indicating the 5th ballot had given a candidate at least two-thirds of the vote electing them Pope.
Then, at 8:12pm local time, the announcement: 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the man who was runner-up to Pope Benedict XVI, has been chosen as the new pope.
He has chosen the name Pope Francis I.
Pope Francis I had been the Bishop for Argentina. He is known as a man who lives in a very meager way, eschewing many of the more extravagant benefits he could receive for his past position. He was known to take public transportation to work each day. He frequently cooked his own meals.
He was raised in a poor family and has been known as a man with a huge passion for the poor and for social justice. He frequently clashed with the Argentine government on matters of caring for the poor and needy within society.
The election, coming after a two day conclave, was the object of much speculation among the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics as there was no clear favorite. The speed of the choice has surprised many expert observers who thought the conclave would take much longer due to the perceived openness of the race.
When Pope Benedict XVI was chosen there had been a significant amount of time where Pope John Paul II was in declining health allowing cardinals to begin discussing the future of the papacy.
I am currently seeking God on this matter and will speak on this subject in an upcoming taping of the Jim Bakker Show.
I do feel we need to watch and see how this plays out in light of the prophecy that this may be the last Pope before Jesus’ return.
However, if the prophecy is correct and this is the last Pope, than I believe his age in relation to the time frame of End Time events written in the Book of Revelation are of great significance.
Do you guy even know about the Malachy prophecy ? Saint Francis of Assisi, Italian San Francesco d’Assisi, baptized Giovanni, renamed Francesco, original name Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone ???
How does the new pope fit in with the Malechy prophecy list of popes?
How does he fit in the pope prophecies? I read where the last pope was to be “Peter the Roman”?
I don’t understand. This is not what was talked about by Jim on the Joni and Marcus show at Daystar. What about that pope? The one that was supposedly prophesied about?
Dear Jim:
Wasn’t “this” pope going to be called “Peter the Roman?