Aghop Si Papa Francisco

POPE FRANCIS: the man who won over the world in five minutes.

That’s all it looks to make papal history. Never has a leader of the Roman Catholic Church become as popular in as short time as Pope Francis did when he humbly asked the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square on March 13 last year to pray for him.

A year on, Francis, known for his gentle smile and infectious energy, has won over hearts worldwide. Admirers from Manila to Mexico fondly remember his first appearance on the balcony in the Vatican when he began with the simple greeting, “Good evening.”

Maria Angelica-Largo, a 50-year-old from Columbia, said she “immediately felt he was closer to the people, more simple and more human.”

“We have never seen a pope become so popular in just a couple of minutes,” said Odon Vallet, a French historian and an expert on religion.

The Argentine-born pope’s humble and homespun style – he likes to mingle with the crowds – also bowled over Roger Kouassi, a teacher in the West African country of Ivory Coast for whom the main thing is that “Francis is closer to the people.”

On twitter too, the 77-year-old pontiff has built up a following of millions of people and his messages are re-tweeted more than those of tech-savvy US President Barack Obama.

Francis became the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years when he was elected by the College of Cardinals a year ago Thursday to succeed Benedict XVI who chose to retire and is now pope emeritus.

Over the past year, Francis has won accolades and plaudits for powerful gestures such as washing the feet of young Muslim inmates, embracing the handicapped and asking that gay people not be judged. Being Catholic is ‘in’ – In France, where only three percent of Catholics are identified as practicing their religion, priests say there has been an increase in church attendance since Pope Francis election. “Before it was ‘uncool’ to be Catholic, now it’s ‘in’,” said Vallet. Although no one has expected Francis to make radical changes in doctrine, the pope has shown a willingness to encourage greater understanding and pastoral care of Christians who are divorced, single mothers, or homosexuals.

“The simple humanity of Francis has worked its charm,” said Gilda Rey, a Catholic from the southern French city Toulouse. “He doesn’t hesitate to mingle with the crowds or even celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day. He’s very fraternal pope.”