White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney on March 13 indicated to the world that the cardinal conclave had selected Pope Francis, formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, after two days of voting. In the following days, many Protestants reacted to the new pope in articles and blogs, and discussed why evangelicals should pay attention to the Vatican.

STUDENTS UNSURE IF THEY NEED TO BE INFORMED

Many Biola students are not very informed on papal events and do not feel that the Roman Catholic Church applies to them as Protestants.

Freshman art major Amanda McMahon expressed doubt about whether she should pay mind to the papacy.

“I don’t know exactly what’s going on with the whole pope deal … and I’m not too sure if I should, if it’s important for me as a Christian to know about it,” McMahon said.

On the other hand, other students are certain that the papacy has no bearing on their lives.

“If you read the [Bible] and follow what God says, what is that man gonna do for you? I mean it’s one thing to have a minister or a pastor but you don’t elevate the pastor over the flock,” junior communications sciences and disorders major Kerry Paxton said.

NEW POPE DOESN'T IMPLY CHANGES IN THE CHURCH

Pope Francis has already caught media attention as a different kind of pope, noted by ABC and a Los Angeles Times article. Many news outlets have commented on his humility and dedication to a vow of poverty, despite his high position within the Roman Catholic Church. However, Protestants should not look for great differences in the Church, despite Pope Francis’ differences from former Pope Benedict, said Torrey Honors Institute associate professor Fred Sanders.

“Roman Catholicism and the papacy is all about continuity, so it wouldn’t do to look for major changes … 90-something percent [of it is] going to be another pope in the same church,” Sanders said.

The main change will be the general style in which the pope operates, Sanders said. For instance, Pope Francis has so far presented himself as press-friendly and a simple speaker, while the press had trouble reporting Benedict’s very theological statements correctly, Sanders pointed out.

THE HEALTH OF THE CHURCH IS IMPORTANT 

“We need to be concerned with the health of the Catholic Church, because even with our differences in theology, we still find ourselves on the same side on a lot of the most pressing issues and controversies of our day,” said Kevin White (‘05), a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Graduate Theological Union.

In a March 14 blog post for mereorthodoxy.com, a website that hosts discussions about the shape of Christianity in the modern world, White analyzed the few facts revealed about Pope Francis on his first two days of office. Titled “The New Pope: Novelty Following Precedent,” the article discusses Pope Francis’ choice of name, membership in the Jesuit order and first public appearance.

It is unusual for a pope to ask the public to pray for God to bless him, as Pope Francis did in his first public appearance, White said. Francis’ seems to be asking people not to glorify the papacy as much as they do through his rejection of many of the perks of the office of pope, White said.

His name, which references St. Francis of Assisi, a 12th century friar devoted to a life of poverty, and his Jesuit membership speak to his care for the poor. Jesuits, who are devoted to chastity, poverty, obedience, as well as an additional vow of obedience to the pope have been commissioned to reform Catholic institutions in the past, continued White.

“In a sense he has just been given the ultimate task for a Jesuit fixer: to reform the corruption, cronyism and bureaucratic inefficiency that has been exposed in the Vatican in recent years,” White wrote in his article.

Mere Orthodoxy is not the only Protestant media outlet to comment on the election of Pope Francis. Carl Trueman, the Paul Woolley professor of Church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in London, weighed in as well. In an article for Reformation 21, the online magazine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Trueman offers a few reasons for Protestants to keep an eye on the pope. Protestants benefit from a conservative, well-run papacy, Trueman argued in his article.

“A sleazy, morally corrupt RCC is like a sleazy, morally corrupt televangelist ministry: We are all marked with the same brush in the public eye and our task of evangelism becomes that much harder,” Trueman wrote.

While discussing a united church in the face of secular society, White cautioned Protestants not to lose sight of the fundamental and important doctrinal differences that Catholics hold about the gospel, salvation and the church. Though a humble, persuasive pope is an advocate for things we do support, he is also an advocate for things we do not, White said. However, Pope Francis’ previous collaboration with evangelicals in Argentina is a hopeful sign for Protestants, he said.

“He’s not diagnosing us as part of the problem of the secular age,” White said.